Plan 'A'  Redux: Return Engagement
by LizD
Summary: The Sequel to Plan 'A' Redux -  How will the return of Booth's Father affect Booth and Brennan's engagement?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** You should probably read _**Plan "A" Redux**_ before this story, but if you really don't want to the salient points are at the bottom so they don't get in the way up here.

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written During the March/April Hiatus 2011**

Chapter One

And Scene ...

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Booth walked into the Hoover building that morning with a spring in his step and a song in his heart - the song was on his lips too though it was more of a whistle. He couldn't have asked for a better night, a better morning, a brighter future. He and Brennan made love - real love with all the bells and whistles - for the first time. There was no guilt, remorse or regrets - all openness and just plain fun. Since it was the first time, technically the second time, it was expected that they should have been at it all night like a couple of teenagers in heat, alas that was not the case but what they had was better than sex. Both were exhausted from getting acclimated to their baby daughter for the last six weeks, so there was that to hamper the all-night-long scenario. They had the whole night to themselves, CJ was with Angela and Jack, so there was no need to rush. The plan was to connect physically and catch up with the emotional connection they had forged pre and post birth. Around nine thirty they emerged from the bedroom ravenous. They called for takeout and grazed in the fridge while they waited. They talked about nothing and everything, laughed, practically giggled. About half way through the Phad Thai, they looked at each other and knew that they couldn't go through with it. They dressed and drove to the Hodgins' house and picked up their daughter. They wanted her home with them as a family. As it turned out it was the first night that CJ slept through the night. Out of habit Booth and Brennan woke at two, four and six o'clock. They made good use of that quiet time - whispering, laughing, caressing, and watching the life they created sleep.

"You seem happy, Agent Booth," Wilcox observed.

"And why wouldn't I be?" He turned to his onetime assistant, now fellow agent. He handed him the digital photo frame that Angela and Hodgins had given him as a baby present. It was loaded with six weeks of pictures of CJ and the entire extended Booth/Brennan family. The memory card was full. "She's a looker, sir. You're going to have a tough time on your hands when she turns sixteen."

"Don't I know it?" He took the frame back and placed it on his desk. "So what brings you down to these parts? Slumming it?"

"Someone was here looking for you last night. You didn't get my message?"

"I did, but I wasn't in a position to return the call." Honestly Booth had deleted the message as soon as he heard it was Wilcox. If it were important, Wilcox would find him. Apparently it was important. "So who was this visitor?"

"Your father," said a deep gravelly voice scarred with too many years of cigarettes and bourbon.

Booth and Wilcox both turned to the doorway. Booth's good humor popped like a balloon. There stood a tall, thin, gray man of about sixty-five. It was William "Billy" Booth – the man who walked out on him and never looked back. Booth looked at him for the first time with a man's eye. Every inch of the elder Booth was gray from his hat to his shoes including his eyes, teeth and skin. It was almost as if he had been dusted with cigarette ash. His shirt was wrinkled and his jeans were torn in a few spots but it was not a fashion statement. The first thought that struck Booth was that this was probably the best clothes the man owned and he still looked like a homeless person. Booth and Billy were never close, but now they were light years apart – the son had surpassed the father in every way.

"Hi Seeley," the man said. "Been a long time."

"Yes it has – decades in fact." Booth looked at Wilcox and nodded for him to go. He did and closed the door behind him. Booth squared his shoulders and looked back at the shadow of a man before him. "What do you what?"

"I came to see you."

"Why now? You dying or something?" Booth looked down at his desk hoping for files or other work to focus on.

"We're all dying, Seeley."

"Thanks for the insight." He kept his anger in check. "What do you want?"

"You've done pretty well for yourself." He looked at the awards, commendations and other select mementos that Booth had in his office. "Come up in the world real nice: fancy suit, private office, bet you're in charge of all those people out there too."

"What do you want?" he asked for the third time.

"Just to talk," he said putting his hands up defensively. "I just want to talk."

Booth snorted a laugh. "Did you think that you would show up here after nearly thirty years and we would just catch up over coffee?"

"You have a right to be pretty pissed at me."

"I don't need your permission," Booth dismissed snidely.

"You're right." He stepped back to the front of Booth's desk. "How's Pops?"

"Fine."

"And Jared."

"Fine." Booth clenched his teeth and braced ready to resume his big brother stance. He did not want this man to interfere in Jared's life. Jared had finally gotten control of his drinking - as much as an alcoholic can. He was married with a good job. He was happy. Booth wouldn't let anyone including his father ruin that for Jared.

Billy Booth picked up the frame which currently had a picture of Brennan, Parker and CJ. "Are these kids yours? And is that your wife? I'll bet she is a handful or two." He grinned wryly.

Booth took the frame back from him and put it down on the desk. "One more time. What do you want?"

"I'm sober," the father announced.

"OK." Booth didn't care.

"Six months last Friday." He waited for a response from Booth that was not forthcoming. "I'm working the program. I want to make amends, son."

Booth bristled at the gray man calling him his son. "Should have sent a fruit basket," he mumbled. Booth's phone rang and he didn't hesitate to answer it. "Booth ... right ... right ... on my way." He ended the call and dialed another. "Yeah, we have a case. I'll be there to pick you up in five. Have the squint squad meet us there. I'll text you the location." He worked his phone for a moment, and looked back up hoping beyond hope that Billy Booth would be gone. Not to be. "I have a case. Gotta go." He stepped past him into the bull pen. "Hey Charlie, would you be sure that our guest finds his way out?" Without waiting for answer he thanked Charlie. "Let's do this again in another thirty years, huh?" Booth left.

Billy Booth stood in the doorway watching Booth retreat. Seeley was a big man now; strong, capable and carried a gun. He wasn't some twelve year old kid protecting his brother or a seven year old stepping between his parents. Billy knew a little bit about Booth's brief college basketball career, his sniper past in the first Gulf War, his recent tour in Afghanistan and his work with Temperance Brennan at the FBI, not that he knew what a forensic anthologist did. The internet was a powerful thing when used for good. Billy hadn't always known where Booth was or what he was doing, but he had a drinking buddy back in Philadelphia who was friends with Pops. Every so often he would contact his buddy and do a quick catch up on the Booth boys. He thought about calling Booth once or twice, maybe three times in the past twenty-nine years but never did. He actually never thought about it seriously. Jared he gave no thought at all.

The trip to Washington was not so much about reconnecting with Booth, though that was certainly a factor, what Billy really needed was Booth's help. He needed to use Booth and his FBI connections but he would have to ease into it. Or maybe he shouldn't. Maybe telling him about his step-granddaughter being in trouble would be the better approach. Seeley had always been the hero type; always trying to save the weak from the evil in the world. Billy saw that in Booth when he was just a kid barely out of diapers. It made him disgusted and angry - how did a kid get so sanctimonious at age five? Clearly Booth would always be about saving the little guy in spite of what it cost him personally. All Billy had to do was give Seeley another lost cause and he would bend over backwards regardless of who was asking. Some people never change. That was a lesson Billy learned long ago.

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"So," Angela pressed. "How was it?"

Brennan looked up and couldn't contain her grin. "Really great."

"Finally ... I'm so happy for you Bren."

"Yeah." Her eyes flickered with concern but she quickly blinked it away.

"Don't go there, sweetie," Angela warned. "You two have wasted too much time second guessing yourselves."

"I'm not ... It's just a new feeling."

"Being happy?"

"Being satisfied," Brennan corrected her.

"Oh Ho … so Booth is that good, huh?"

"Content, Angela," she restated. "But yes satisfied too." He looked over at her daughter asleep in the crib. "I'd like to stop time - though that's impossible. But I would like to pause here for just a little while."

"There's more good stuff coming, Bren."

"I know ... but I also know with the good comes the bad, and I would just like to hold right here – not forever, just for a week or two. Like a vacation."

"You're contentment is up to you, Sweetie. You and Booth decide how much you will let in and how much it will enhance or disrupt your life."

Brennan's cell phone rang. She mumbled a few yeses and hung up. The first bad thing came up. "We have a case," she said. "Booth wants me to go with him to the crime scene."

"He misses you already," she grinned. "Is there really a crime scene or does he just need a nooner for breakfast?"

"I don't know what that means, but it is a real case." Brennan's phone beeped the incoming text. "Why did he call me?"

"That's OK isn't it? ... I mean you should take back your partnership – you should have it all. You two were always better together."

"I don't think it's that simple – in terms of work," Brennan corrected. She grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "I'm not in charge here anymore."

"I don't think Clark will stop you. Booth is pretty hard on him."

"I need to tell Cam and Clark." She walked toward Cam's office.

"You are the master of your own fate, Bren," Angela called after her.

"I don't believe in fate. And by definition fate is something I can't control," she said to no one but herself.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth pulled up to the Jeffersonian fully expecting Brennan to be waiting for him. She was. He didn't get out. He did say anything. He allowed her to stow her bags in the back and climb in herself. It was odd. For the past five months he doted on her to the point of being annoying. He sped away and kept his eyes on the road. This was not the man who kissed her goodbye less than an hour ago. Something had happened.

"What's going on Booth?" She asked after many minutes.

"Dead body in a shed in an alley … not much left of it ... need you to ID, give me COD ... the usual."

She reached over and touched his arm. He reflexively pulled away.

"Sorry." He said when he realized what he had done. He reached over and took her hand, pressed it quickly and then let go.

"Booth ... we aren't partners any more. I don't go to crime scenes with you. What's going on?"

His eyes flamed anger. "You don't want to help me on this case? Fine." He pulled a U-turn. "I'll take Edison with me."

"Booth ... stop. Stop the car. ... Right now ... Stop the car. ... BOOTH!"

He screeched to a stop on the side of the road. "What?" He glared at her.

"That's what I'm asking. What? Something happened in the last hour, I think you need to tell me what it is."

He looked away. He just wanted to scream, to yell, to punch something. He was about to turn his rage on her, but when he looked back he didn't see his obstinate partner sticking her nose in where it didn't belong, he saw his lover, the mother of his daughter, the woman who not sixty minutes ago he was planning a future with – the one he would share his life with - and that meant the past as well as the future. If he really believed that, if he really wanted that - then she needed to be brought into the loop with all its ugliness. She could take it or not, but it was real. His expression softened. He reached over and took her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it tenderly. "This was such a great morning," he said remorsefully.

She pulled her hand out of his. "Tell me what happened."

He leaned back. "You will never guess who came to see me this morning."

"Ok, who?"

"No, come on ... guess."

"If I will never guess, why would I want to? Why would you ask me to?"

"It's a thing, Bones. Just guess. The last person you would ever think would walk into my office."

She shrugged. "Your father."

"How the hell did you know that? You're a genius. Or Psychic. How did you know that?"

She started to explain her inductive logic about his mood, his level of anger, and his assurance that she would never guess. Since the odds were very high that Booth's father would ever walk back into his life and because of the little bit she knew about Booth's issues with his father, she could surmise anger would be his first response. Given all of that, she opted to keep her thought process to herself determining that his question was rhetorical. "What happened?"

"He just showed up."

"What did he want?"

"We didn't get that far. He said he had quit drinking - about six months sober and was working the program."

"The program?"

"Twelve steps ... he was up to number nine; making amends for past wrong doings."

"You know these steps?"

"They are the same for all addicts. Yes, I know them."

"Ok, so ..."

"So nothing. I got the call about the case and left."

"That's it?"

"Oh HELL no. He didn't come all this way for a five minute chat."

"How do you know how far he came?"

Booth looked down. "I found him ... years ago ... when I got to the FBI. I probably know more about his life in the past thirty years than he does."

"Booth -."

"We have to get to a crime scene. Will you work this one with me?"

"Of course ... but what about your father."

"We need to table that discussion for a better time ... or never." He put the car in gear, made another U-turn and was back on the road toward the crime scene.

"I suspect that he won't just go away," she observed.

"Smart girl."

"You know people Booth. What do you think he wants?"

He ground his teeth and looked out the window. "Probably money."

"He has never asked you for money before," she said. "Could there be another reason?"

"Sure, about a hundred, but it doesn't matter."

"You don't wish to reconcile with him?"

"No." Booth jaw tensed. It was amazing how just seeing his father again - a mere shadow of his former self - threw Booth back into his youth when his father was larger than life. A flood of Daddy issues came crashing down on him. Sweets would have a field day. What were the odds that Sweets wouldn't meet Daddy Dearest?

She reached over and rested her hand on his thigh. "You're not your father Booth."

Her touch brought him back to the present. He covered her hand with his. "I know. Thanks." Then he glanced at her with a sly grin. "But you can't touch me like that at work, OK?"

"Touch you like what?" She pressed her fingers into his inner thigh. "Like that?" She moved her hand up higher and pressed again. "Or that."

He grinned and lifted her hand off his thigh. "Just keep your hands and feet to yourself when we're at work, OK?"

"I'm very good with my feet … dexterous."

"I'm aware – and pretty impressed," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "Not at work."

"I'll try to control myself." She smiled back at him. "Although, I do find that I am quite distracted today. I keep imagining our -."

"Nothing ... don't imagine ... just save it for off hours."

"I can still smell you on my skin."

"BONES ... please."

"I thought you would be pleased to know that I found our encounter last night very satisfying and am anxiously looking forward to our next."

"Yeah ... that's great ... dead body?"

She looked back out the window. "Fine."

He glanced at her a couple of times. He reached over and took her hand. "I am too." She looked back a little confused. "Distracted … and looking forward to our next … encounter."

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**A/N: The salient points of **_**PLAN "A" REDUX**_** are:** Hannah said yes to Booth's proposal, Booth and Brennan let their partnership dissolve as Booth was tracking down Broadsky for killing Caroline Julian. Booth brought him in and was asked to head up an organized crime task force. Brennan had gone back to doing what the Jeffersonian originally hired her for and only consulted on murder cases. Booth and Hannah's relationship was very rocky. Brennan contacted Booth in September to get his authorization to use his sperm to impregnate herself, Booth would be no part of her life (unless he wanted the kid to know her dad when the time came). He agreed and they wound up making love - sort of a onetime deal, he was still engaged to Hannah. She naturally got pregnant the old fashioned way but didn't disclose that to Booth. The whole Jeffersonian team hooked back up at Thanksgiving and then in a subsequent case. The news of Brennan's pregnancy was announced, Sweets had a feeling it was Booth's but Brennan hadn't told him. Booth broke up with Hannah after struggling for ten months to make their relationship work it was both their fault. Both transferred back to major crimes. Booth and Brennan grew closer until he finally demanded to be part of the pregnancy and the child's life. Booth moved in to help her with the last weeks before the birth. They grew very close during that time but had yet to verbalize their feelings or their intention of having a future together after the baby was born other than co-parents. It was during the labor that Booth figured out that the baby was conceived naturally. They admitted their feelings - at least the love part. In the epilogue, Booth suggested that they get married. He made a logical argument and Brennan agreed. Also in the epilogue, B&B hadn't had sex yet. They had only really gotten together when Brennan was eight months pregnant, and the story ended six weeks after the baby was born. This story picks up the morning after they corrected that point in their relationship. It was that night that Booth's father chose to show up at the FBI looking for him. And Scene ...


	2. Chapter 2

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written During the March/April Hiatus 2011**

**Chapter Two**

**AN: **Thank you all for your comments, alerts and favorites. I'm very grateful that you have faith in my to give you a good story. I sure do try.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

It was late in the afternoon when Booth returned to his office. He had a slew of voicemails from Billy Booth – by slew, there were three. Booth was grateful that the SOP was to not give out his cell phone – of course it was on his card, so it wouldn't be long before Billy Booth was blowing up that too. He deleted the messages as soon as he heard his father's voice. He knew he couldn't avoid him forever, but there was nothing wrong with hoping that he would give up and go away. Sweets might disagree. Booth could only imagine the psychobabble father-son shit that Sweets would spout if he knew; best to keep him from knowing.

"Agent Booth?"

_Think of the devil and the devil appears_. "Sweets, what's up?"

"Just wanted to say welcome back. I know yesterday was your first day, but I assumed you would need the day to slog through the mountain of paperwork that piled up while you were out."

"I appreciate that, Sweets."

"So how's everything?"

Booth sat down and looked at Sweets who was nervously standing in the door way as per usual. "Why do I always feel like you are being a shrink and not a friend?"

"It was a friend question, Booth. I imagine that the last several weeks, months, years have been quite a series of adjustments for you, so I just wanted to check in on you."

"Bones and I are fine," Booth stated cutting to the chase, as it were. "CJ's a sweetheart and a joy to be around. Parker loves her, loves Bones, loves his time with us. We are back at work. I have money in the bank; I have my health and I have good friends who _check in on me_. So things with me are great. God is in his heaven and all is right in my world." That might have been a little over the top, but Booth was on a roll; maybe he was just doing a little over compensating to avoid the Daddy Development.

"Sounds like you and Dr. Brennan have formed a nice little family unit."

"We have."

Sweets came in and sat down, uninvited. "You didn't live with Rebecca … either before or after Parker was born."

"What's your point, Sweets?"

"Just that you've had a lot of changes … stressors, if you will … in your life over the past two or three years and particularly in the last couple of months. You and Dr. Brennan are living together now with a child, but seven months ago you were barely speaking, a ten months before that you were engaged to another woman, had broken off your partnership with Dr Brennan and were on the trail of a rogue sniper who you used work with. Seven months before that you were back in a war zone. Two months before that you were in love with Dr. Brennan enough to want to pursue a relationship beyond your partnership. And before that she was your best friend and partner for five years – there was no one closer to you. And let's not get into your brain tumor, the number of times you've been shot, or the number of people you have had to kill to protect you or your partner - then there was that whole clown incident."

"Thanks for the recap, Sweets. Nice to see that someone is keeping score. But what's your point?"

"Just that here we are today, you two have fast forwarded past the courtship to be a family unit. Sometimes it can be a lot for a person to adjust … I know a enough of your history - both your histories to know that things might not fall into place they way you want them to and that can cause … consternation."

"Consternation?" Booth shook his head. "Bones and I are fine," he repeated. "Better than fine and we had plenty of _courtship_." Booth needed to prove it to him. "Don't make a big deal about it, but we're getting married."

"Dr. Brennan has agreed to marry you."

"She could do worse, Sweets. A lot worse."

"No doubt. But Dr. Brennan? … Really? Married?"

"I said not to make a big deal out of it."

"Really? Wow … I mean … really? Married? She doesn't believe in marriage."

"She's allowed to change her mind, Sweets."

"Dr. Brennan never changes her mind."

"Yes she does ... a lot just in the past two years." Booth was sorry he told him. "She didn't believe in fate either, yet here we are."

"I don't believe Dr. Brennan would call that fate."

"PoTAto, Potato."

"Well, Congratulations, Booth." Sweets was unconvinced that it would go off without a hitch or three. "You might find marriage, domestic life and sharing a home with a woman and a child a bit constricting for you. You have been single for quite a long time. Able to come and go at will – allowing your work to take over your time; no one to be responsible to - except of course for work. You will be doing so reprioritizing and that can be quite a stressor too. If you ever need to talk about it ..."

"Thanks Sweets, but I have lived with a woman before. The baby will be new, but so far so good."

"You can't be referring to your cohabitation with Hannah as living together."

Luckily Booth did not need to answer, as Charlie stepped in. "Booth, did you get the message? Your father is here again. They called about thirty minutes ago." Well, maybe not so lucky.

Sweets nearly dropped his teeth. "Your father?"

_Out of the frying pan into the fire._ "Thanks Charlie, thanks a lot," Booth said sarcastically. Charlie ducked out again.

"Your father is here?" Sweets stated. "You knew he was here … I mean here in Washington? You have spoken to him? How long has he been here?"

"Sweets look … I know you're probably creaming your pants over this little turn of events, but please – just stay out of it, OK?"

"Oh man … I mean … dude, this is HUGE. This trumps all the other stressors. This is the mega-stressor, the uber-stressor, the stressor to end all stressors."

Booth got up and moved to the door. "Let it go, Sweets. It's really not that big a deal."

"Can I meet him?"

"No."

"Come on, please. I won't say anything. I just want to meet him."

"No."

"I could help facilitate a dialog."

Booth thought for a moment and decided that it might be good to have a buffer – he didn't need a shrink, but someone there to stop him from doing or saying … something that he would regret. "Whatever." He walked toward the elevator with Sweets trotting along behind him like a puppy.

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Over that the Jeffersonian, it didn't take long to determine cause of death: blunt force trauma. The murder weapon was next to the body: a baseball bat. Time of death was determined to be at least five weeks prior. Identification was not difficult. A woman had gone missing in that area who matched the general description of the remains; Angela and Brennan were able to correctly identify them as Olivia Lemmon. The murderer was her husband – they surmised, he practically confessed as they were processing the crime scene which was the alley behind his house saying that she made him to do it with her constant nagging and berating him for everything he did from the way he breathed to the way he zipped his pants. Mr. Lemmon was taken into custody. Hodgins couldn't help commenting that Mrs. Lemmon apparently got herself a lemon of a husband. It didn't go over well. The booking and the paperwork was up to Booth. The Jeffersonian was not typically called on the easy cases, but the local LEO's apparently looked at the state of decomp and didn't bother to look further.

Clark didn't mind that Booth called Brennan out on the case - it was their first case back after the baby; it was understandable. He would have to see how often it happened and how disruptive it was before he said anything. For the past year or more Brennan was very respectful - a good team player. Cam and Clark weren't surprised when Booth was out of the picture, nor were they while Brennan was pregnant and on light duty. But now that Booth was back, he and Brennan were more together than they ever had been, it might change. But with two days back, the respect and team playing seemed to be holding. Maybe Booth was right all those years ago saying that a baby would make Brennan more personable.

Brennan found having CJ at work divided her attention; Brennan was not used to having her attention divided. Firstly people would come to see the baby; nice, but very disrupting when Brennan was trying to work. She also found that if she were out of the office and heard CJ fussing or crying her first instinct was to go to her child. The nanny, Adriana, was there and was hired to attend to all of CJ's needs so Brennan had to give up some of that control. She was not good at that either. The nanny - who preferred to be called an au pair - was a woman of around fifty who had been in child care her entire life and specialized with infants. Typically she would leave when the child was eighteen to twenty-four months. Booth said it was because she didn't like kids when they started to think for themselves. Brennan was fine with her limitation. Angela and she had talked about it and had decided that when the time was right, CJ and Katie would have the same caretaker during working hours. Both women found great comfort in going through this new world of motherhood together and they were perfect companions for each other - Brennan very analytical, Angela very emotional - brain and heart working in tandem. Booth and Hodgins were bonding as well - they had nothing in common but love of their children and the mothers. Both came at fatherhood differently, but those little girls were lucky to have such doting parents.

Brennan was writing up the report for Booth. Some of the results for the standard tests they ran were still pending, but she thought she would get a jump on it as she had been out of practice for so long. A lab tech knocked and stepped in. "Dr. Brennan, there is a gentleman here to see you. He says his name is William Booth."

Brennan's face showed no reaction. She nodded to allow him to be shown in. Brennan shut down her laptop and put on her lab coat. "Adriana, would you please take CJ out for a walk. If it's too hot outside you can take her to the atrium." Adriana complied. Brennan grabbed some files and headed down to Cam's office. She knew who was coming and knew that she had no interest in talking to this man, but felt that meeting him and denying him face to face was the surest way to get him to leave.

"Dr. Brennan?" the security guard called to her. "This is William Booth."

Brennan turned and was surprised at what she saw. He looked world weary. She surmised that the drinking and hard living had taken a toll on him. Booth would look much different when he reached Mr. Booth's age. In fact, Booth looked nothing like the man who stood before her at any stage of their lives. They shared no physical similarities - eye color, bone structure, things that could not be altered with hard living.

"Billy," the man extended his hand. "Please call me Billy."

Brennan shook his hand. "Mr. Booth, how can I help you?"

"I've been trying to get a hold of Seeley and understand that you are partners."

"I don't know where he is at the moment," she stated.

"But you do see him ... often ... daily?" Brennan nodded. "I saw your picture in his office with a baby. Is that my grandchild?"

At that Brennan's radar went up. "I will pass on the message to Booth that you're looking for him. Does he have your number or where you are staying?"

"Can we talk for a moment?" He put his hand out to lead her over to the side. "I didn't just come here to reconnect with my son, Dr. Brennan. I need his help with something. It's a delicate matter and maybe you would be the best person to ask about how to present it to him."

"I'm uncomfortable with your request and would prefer not to act as go between. I know Booth, and he would wish you to discuss it with him directly."

"You call my son Booth?" Brennan did not respond. "I understand your concern, and applaud your loyalty to my son. I know that he is pretty bitter about ... well about things. I would so much like to establish some kind of relationship with him. Maybe now that he is a father, he will understand and be more forgiving."

"I don't see how I can help you."

"I just want to get him to talk to me, Temperance - do you go by Tempe? Or Temperance?"

"Mr. Booth."

"I would just like to speak with him," he pleaded and flashed a soft smile.

"Then I would seek help from someone else." She clutched the folders she had in her arms more tightly to her chest. "If you will excuse me, I must get back to work." She noticed the security guard standing nearby and was grateful for their over solicitousness.

"It's about my granddaughter, Dr. Brennan." He called to her as she walked away from him. "She's missing."

A chill went down Brennan's spine. Technically speaking CJ was Billy Booth's granddaughter. Brennan would be out of her mind with worry if her granddaughter was missing.

"Actually she has fallen off the grid," he explained.

"I don't know what that means, but it sounds like it's a matter for the police."

"That's why I have come to Seeley. The local and federal law enforcement agencies will not help me."

"And you thought Booth would disregard department protocol to help you?"

"It's about a young girl's life - she is not yet twenty Dr. Brennan. She has been missing for two years. I have enough information that led me to Washington. She has probably gotten in with the wrong crowd. I just want to help her if I can." He could see that Brennan still wasn't sold on the idea of helping him. He needed to play his trump card. "Her grandmother - my wife - is dying. She only has a few months left. Her greatest wish is to see her dear Margaret again."

"If and when I see Booth, I will tell him that you stopped by and would like to speak with him, but I make no promises. I will not encourage Booth to do anything he does not wish to do."

"Please, Dr. Brennan." He pushed a picture of his granddaughter at her.

She didn't reach out to take the picture. "I know very little about you Mr. Booth -."

"Billy, please." He again pushed the picture at her.

"I know very little about you Mr. Booth, but what I do know does not compel me to urge Booth to do anything at all." She took mercy on him. She took the picture and looked it over quickly before tucking it with her other folders. "But, I will tell him you were here;" which sounded more like a warning than an admission that she would help him. She gave a half turn toward the security guard and nodded. "Now if you will excuse me, I am very busy."

"Thank you for your time, Dr. Brennan." He paused. "You have a beautiful daughter."

Brennan turned back to him just as he was turning away. She didn't like that man. She had an irrational hatred for him. His comment about CJ sounded like a threat but she had no evidence to support that. She saw nothing in that man that was anything like Booth. It occurred to her that she had good parents for fifteen years who loved her and gave her a good grounding before they abandoned her. Booth didn't have that. His childhood was filled with sickness, death and violence. Who knows what would have happened to Booth if he had to live with that man for any longer than he did? Who knows how Booth would have turned out if it were not for Pops? Booth has stated the he would have killed himself, but Brennan didn't believe that at the time. Maybe there was good reason for him to want to get away from that man.

Angela walked by her. "Who was that, he looks like a snake oil salesman?"

"I don't understand the reference."

"You know, one of those slimy guys who tries to sell you something - usually something you don't want that won't work and costs too much."

Brennan thought that the description probably did apply. "That was Booth's father." Brennan turned quickly and walked out to the atrium. She had a need to hold her daughter.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"How the hell should I know Sweets?" Booth stated. "The guy's a flake. He walked out on me when I was twelve, haven't seen or heard from him since. He probably needed a drink."

Booth walked back into his office, still with Sweets in tow. Billy Booth was not in the lobby and had left no forwarding information.

"But he was here?" Sweets pressed. "You did see him? You did talk to him?"

"Look, if he comes back, I will send him your way. Maybe you can write a book about him too." Booth checked his watch. "Gotta go, Sweets."

Sweets was left standing there knowing that Booth's cavalier attitude was just a facade and if his father was really back in town and demanding to see him, that there would be fall out for Booth. Sweets hoped he could help his friend.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**


	3. Chapter 3

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written During the March/April Hiatus 2011**

**Chapter Three**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth arrived at the apartment just after nine.

"Bones?" he called coming in the door. He thought about saying _Hi honey, I'm home_, but decided she wouldn't get the joke.

"Booth," she called from the desk in the living room. "Keep your voice down."

He kicked off his shoes and pulled his tie free and tossed his suit jacket over the stack of mail on the counter. Booth was not a slob. He policed his stuff, but it typically happened when he went to bed or first thing in the morning. Brennan would have preferred that his _stuff_ made it to the closet earlier. One day it would be an item up for discussion, but for the moment, Brennan kept her annoyance to herself.

"CJ just went to sleep," she explained.

"Does that mean I don't get to see her?" The disappointment was thick in his voice. CJ had already been fed, bathed and put to bed. Booth was more than a little frustrated about that. His work was too demanding on his time. In the past it only ruined relationships with women, now it was going to affect his relationship with his daughter. He had missed so much with Parker because he and Rebecca couldn't figure it out - and that had to do with his job too - among other things. Brennan would understand about his time away, his commitment to his work - probably the only woman on the planet who would. But CJ wouldn't understand. All she would know was that her father was absent. Then there was the danger inherent in being an FBI agent and carrying a gun with him to the office to consider. Maybe it was time to take that desk job.

"I'm fairly sure she will wake up at some point in the night, but for now please just let her sleep." She went back to what she was working on. "I believe that being at the lab was over stimulating for her."

"It's just a change, she'll adjust." He was very glad Brennan got to take her to the lab in spite of his objections to the lab itself. It meant that Brennan was there for her much of the day and he would get to see her as often as he could make it over there. He opened the refrigerator to forage for food. "Did you eat?"

"I had a salad."

He pulled a plate out and looked at it. It was a sandwich, potato salad and a pickle. "Did you ...?"

"Adriana left it for you."

"She did?" Booth pulled off the plastic not knowing what to make of that. He grabbed a beer and sat down at the counter to eat.

"You will need deal with that, Booth," she warned.

"Deal with what?" He took a bite out of the sandwich. He got up to grab the mayonnaise and mustard.

"Adriana has feelings for you."

"No, she doesn't," he said slathering mustard and mayo on the bread. "Well maybe she flirts with me a little." He grinned like he was enjoying the attention. He took another bite. "But come on Bones ... she's an old lady. She's like what? Sixty. Sixty-five?"

"The difference between your ages is the same as the difference in ours, but I fail to see what age has to do with it."

"She's mothering, that's all," he dismissed. "If you were nicer to her, I'll bet she would make you a sandwich too."

"There is nothing wrong with the way I treat her," Brennan stated.

Brennan was fairly critical of Adriana and it was evident that she didn't understand a woman who would make a career out of caring for someone else's child. Brennan was a bit of an adjustment for Adriana too. Typically most parents just handed their infant over to Adriana to take care of as they got back to their busy lives. Adriana had many hours with the child alone. Brennan was not like that. She informed Adriana that Adriana would be taking care of CJ at the Jeffersonian under Brennan's watchful albeit distracted eye. Adriana didn't like that plan at all. She preferred to be a little bit more independent. She almost didn't take the job, but she liked Booth. She liked Booth a lot. She didn't understand how Booth could be with such a cold woman. And she really didn't like how Brennan talked to Booth.

"Booth, you need to be careful."

"Jealous?" he asked taking a long hit from his beer.

"It would be irrational to be jealous, as jealousy implies a belief that you would pursue a relationship with her. You have stated that you would be exclusive to me going so far as to suggest marriage and I don't have reason to think that you are lying."

"I did more than suggest," he corrected. "And I don't cheat, Bones," he stated like the thought had crossed his mind and he decided against such an action. Of course that was not the case at all. He had no interest in other women. His relationship with Brennan was more than he ever expected to have, and it was getting better every day. He would do nothing to jeopardize that, not even in his mind. She had ruined other women for him - and he didn't mind.

Most men when confronted with the 'other woman' scenario from the female in their life would fall back to the position that they wouldn't cheat because of their great and all consuming love for their S.O. Brennan wouldn't trust the over solicitous declaration of love, and she would be quick to point out that that kind of love was transitory and ebbed and flowed with time and familiarity. Therefore it would be reasonable to believe that at some time in the future when his love for her was ebbing, that he might seek the comfort in someone else's bed. The only thing keeping that from happening during those ebbing times was his moral code that dictated that he did not cheat. Brennan would appreciate that logic. Booth was getting good at reading her. "I don't cheat," he repeated.

"I know that about you. I'm just pointing out that you might want to make that clear to Adriana as it could complicate her position here."

Booth lost his appetite and pushed the plate away. "Can I take a shower or will that wake CJ?"

"You should be fine." She shot him a quick glance. "You might not want to sing though." She shot him another look. "You might want to make not singing in the shower a habit."

"There's nothing wrong with my voice," he protested. "What are you working on over there?"

"Rewrites for my latest book. My editor has been asking for them for weeks now. She was patient while I was pregnant, but her patience has run out."

"Can I read it?"

"Not until it's published."

Booth didn't like that answer. He thought he might be given a little bump since they were together. "Jeez, think I can get the author to sign it for me too?"

She turned to him about to explain that she was the author and would of course sign his copy, but then she realized he was complaining about not being allowed to read an advanced copy. She might let him read the next one, or even allow him to help with the plotting out of the murder. He had good instincts when it came to that. Or maybe she could let him read this one. Any comments he had would not affect changes as it was set to go to the printers in a week. "If you want to read it, you can - but you can only read it at home and on a hard copy. My publisher is very rigid about that."

"Really?" He was surprised that she yielded so quickly. Times really were changing. "I swear, only at home with the doors locked, under a blanket with a flashlight." He made a little 'x' mark on his chest and then raised his hand in an 'I swear' gesture with a very charming smile on his face.

"That won't be necessary," she frowned sorry that she made the offer and went back to work.

Booth walked over to her and looked over her shoulder. "So how did Agent Andy Lister make out this time?"

"He was shot."

"What? You shot him? Is he dead?" Booth started scanning the document that she had up on her screen.

"He will survive. He was shot by a woman who was stalking him; she was actually aiming at Kathy, he stepped in the way."

Booth thought that sounded oddly familiar. Did she think Adriana was a stalker? He moved back to the kitchen. "Oh Bones, come on. Adriana isn't the kind to -."

"This has nothing to do with her. The book was written before we hired her. And the characters in my book are fictitious."

"Right, just like page 187 in _**Bone of Contention**_ was completely imaginary."

"I told you that was Angela."

"You also said you were anxious to try it." Brennan didn't say anything. "So?"

"So what?"

"Have you?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Have I what? Tried it? No - haven't anyone who I thought was dexterous enough."

"I'm plenty dexterous."

"I'm aware." She studied him for a moment wondering if she really wanted the answer to her next question. "So have you?" She turned to face him. "Tried it?"

He let his face spread into a shit eating grin and then fall instantly. "No," he paused for effect. "Same reason." He scanned her lustily. "You're pretty ... dexterous."

"I am," she said proudly. "And I have been exercising pretty hard these last weeks to recover from the pregnancy - yoga, stretching, pilates."

"I've noticed."

The flirt just hung in the air between them. The sex thing was still new between them. They hadn't gotten into a rhythm or a comfort zone about what was expected on school nights. Their first night was a school night. They would get there, and there would be plenty of nights where sleep was not the priority. That night was a good bed to be short on sleep. But it was too soon to get that party started - clearly she had more work to do. Booth wanted her undivided attention. "So you shot Andy, but he survives. Was that payback for Barbie Jaxx?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Booth changed his mind. Barbie Jaxx was not ground he wanted to cover. She was a character in her last novel; a true crime writer/journalist. She was blonde, free spirit, and Agent Andy and she had a very torrid affair - much to Kathy and the Brennanites chagrin. There was a huge outpouring of complaints when that book came out even though by the end of the book Barbie was killed by a serial killer and there was little left of her remains. Evidence pointed to Kathy Reichs as the murderer, but she was able to shift suspicion - sorry, find evidence to convict the real killer. The forensics never proved that the serial killer was the one who got to Barbie, it was more than implied that Kathy could have done it.

That book, _**Blood and Bone**_, was written while Booth was chasing Broadsky, he and Hannah were engaged and he and Brennan were no longer partners. Regardless of their partnership status, Booth still read all of Brennan's books. It had actually come out in September shortly after Booth and Brennan's encounter. Hannah had asked to read the book when he was done with it. Somehow it got misplaced so Hannah never did. Clearly she didn't want to or she would have gotten her own copy. Booth and Hannah were having a very difficult time then, he had to admit it was a bit of an ego boost - in some very wrong way - to think that Brennan had a secret desire to kill Hannah and chose to indulge that fantasy in her book.

For Brennan's part, the character in the book that shot Andy was not based on Adriana. She was based on Pam Nunan, the woman who tried to kill Brennan at the Checkerbox. Basically she needed a catalyst to get Andy and Kathy back together. Kathy would not so easily forgive Andy his indiscretions. Though Brennan would never admit it, Barbie Jaxx was Hannah - no doubt about it. He would not press the point; the least amount of talking about Hannah, the better.

"I'm going to take a shower."

Booth picked up his jacket, tie, and shoes and was about to head to the bathroom. Something dropped on the floor that had been on the pile of mail. "What's this?" He picked it up. It was a picture of a young female, she was teenager. She had dark skin and eyes - she wasn't black, she was probably mulatto. She could have been very pretty, but there was a deep sadness about her that was clearly captured on film. There was something else about her; she looked very familiar. On the back was written: Margaret sixteen. Brennan hadn't answered. "Bones, what's this?"

"That is your father's granddaughter ... so that would make her your niece. She is missing apparently and your father would like you to find her." She never looked up; she barely was focusing on what she was saying.

"What the hell, Bones?" His voice was raised.

Brennan turned quickly to him about to shush him. "Booth," she whispered in hushed voice.

"Where did you get this?" He kept his voice in a normal tone.

"Your father came by to see me today. He needs your help to find his granddaughter and asked me to facilitate that."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It slipped my mind."

He didn't like that answer but knew he wasn't going to get a better one. "What did he say?"

"Who?"

"Bones."

"Oh, your father. He asked me to ask you to contact him about his missing granddaughter."

"What did you say?"

"I said that I would tell you that he stopped by, but that was the extent of my involvement. I surmised that he gave me the picture to reinforce his sincerity and to humanize his granddaughter for you to persuade you to help."

"It's not going to work."

She saved the file she was working on and printed it. "Of course it is," she said passing him on the way to check on CJ.

"So you think you know me," he said in a hushed voice as the two looked in on their sleeping child.

She stepped back and ran into Booth. She turned to face him. "I know you fairly well." She directed him backward out of the room and she closed the door behind her. "I know that if you think there is someone in trouble and you can help them, you will. It has nothing to do with your father or whatever his agenda is."

He leaned into her forcing her to lean her back against the door. "So you think he has an agenda too?"

She loved when he got ... imposing. She had loved it since they first met. She knew he was trying to be intimidating, but she couldn't help it. It aroused her. "It doesn't take a psychologist to figure that out, Booth." She knew that he enjoyed her not being intimidated by him.

"And you think I should ... what? Just buy into whatever he's saying."

"No." She ran her hands up his chest and locked her fingers behind his neck. "I think you treat him as you would any man that you didn't know coming to you with a missing persons report."

"Yeah?" He inched closer to her.

"Yeah." She freed one hand and scratched her nails through his short locks and pressed her pelvis against his.

"Don't you think it's interesting." He pressed back into her. He loved this playful sexy side of Brennan. Their life was going to be fun. "That a man who abandoned his son is expecting that son to help him find a grandchild who abandoned him?" He kissed her neck while unbuttoning the top two buttons on her shirt.

"Did you know that your father started another family after he left you?" She was working his buttons free.

"Yes, I told you that I found him when I first got to the FBI." Booth shrugged unwilling to admit that it was not appropriate use of the FBI resources. "And he didn't start a family, he married into one."

Booth leaned back. Why was he talking about his father when all he wanted to do was take Brennan to bed while their daughter slept? There would be time enough to rehash the trials and tribulations of Billy Booth in the post Seeley years later. Too late. He started to pull away allowing the frustration of the topic ruin their moment, but she kept him close.

"Do you want to talk about this?" She pulled his shirt free.

"No." He snaked his hands around her waist and pulled her close.

"Do you want to shower and go to sleep?"

"Not anymore." He leaned in and kissed her jaw and down her neck that she offered to him.

"Are you up for page 187?" She sucked his ear lobe between her teeth.

"Might need a warm up round first ... but I'm good for it." He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Ya know, I think we should have taken more time off."

"I'm thinking you're correct." She kissed him back, pulled out of his embrace and took him by the hand toward the bedroom. They had just closed the door when CJ started to fuss. They could hear it through the baby monitor. She would need to be attended to or she would work herself up into a lather.

"I got this," he said proudly. He loved his little girl; nothing was more important, not even sex. "Save my spot for me and keep it warm," he joked as he slipped out and into the baby's room.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"Hey, Darling, it's Billy ... No, I haven't talked to him yet; but I talked to his wife, girlfriend, whatever. Man she is a piece of work. ... Don't worry, he'll do it. ... We have some time. ... How the hell would I know if he is good at this or not? ... This was your idea, Baby Jane. ... I said it as a joke; you were the one that jumped on it. .. We can't afford another private detetive. ... I know ... I know ... Listen, this needs to be handled right, ya know. ... Don't worry, I know just how to motivate Seeley Booth - he ain't all that complicated. ... How's Tara? ... What did the doctor say? ... Alright ... right ... I know ... You're kidding me. ... Where to do you think I will get that kind of money? ... Exactly ... Just keep her alive until I get the kid back there ... Once this thing is over, we are headed to Costa Rica and we'll live out our days on sundrenched beaches drinking tropical concoctions with little umbrellas ... yeah, miss you too. ... Gotta go. ... Keep that old battle axe alive, OK. ... Don't want to see twenty-five years flushed down toilet."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**


	4. Chapter 4

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written During the March/April Hiatus 2011**

**Chapter Four**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth entered St. Peter's early the next morning. He bowed his head, made the sign of the cross, sat down in a pew and knelt to pray. It has been a long time since he had made a Sunday service, but he came to pray as often as he could. That morning he called Father Bishop to see if they could meet – there were some things Booth needed to discuss. He wanted to talk about his marriage to Brennan and the christening of CJ. Of course he hadn't spoken to Brennan about any of this.

"Agent Booth," the priest said softly sitting down next to him in the pew. "Would you care to go to my office, or is here satisfactory."

"Here is fine, Father."

"I haven't seen you at mass in a long time, Agent Booth."

"No, sir. I have no excuse."

"You've been busy."

"Yes, sir." Booth always got nervous when talking to the priests at church, just like when he was a boy. "Father, I have recently had a baby; a little girl."

"Congratulations," he said honestly. "You have not married the mother, I presume."

"Not for lack of trying, father. Bones is a very unique person."

"She is not Catholic."

Booth laughed a little. How was he supposed to tell the priest that she was an atheist? "She leans more to the science of things, than the religious."

"I see," the priest frowned.

"She has agreed to marry me, but I don't think she will tolerate a Catholic wedding."

"How do you feel about that?"

"My faith is my faith, father. I stand before God in all that I do; it's not the building, the person who presides over the ceremony, or the words that make my vow to God. It is me - my intent. And that is true."

The father nodded but didn't answer.

"I would like our daughter to be baptized. Is that permissible if both parents are not catholic?"

"You say your ... the mother of your child is not Catholic, may I inquire as to her affiliation even if she has strayed from the church of her youth."

Booth chuckled nervously. "Gonna have to go with Darwinism, Father."

"Excuse me?"

"Bones is a scientist, an anthropologist." Booth had to come clean with the priest. "She sees religion, particularly organized religions as ways to control the masses. She doesn't believe in God, she calls him my imaginary friend - well that was a few years ago, she may have tempered her opinion a bit."

The priest frowned again. "You did not talk about how you would raise your child before you got pregnant?" Booth shook his head. "So the baby was unplanned."

"Oh no, she was planned ... very planned. It's just that ..." How could he possibly tell the priest the original plan for CJ? "Well, there was a different plan, I guess, but God beat us to the punch, so to speak."

"I don't understand."

"It's really too long a story to tell, the most important thing for you to know is that I love her, she loves me and we are committed to each other and to our daughter; the marriage is just paperwork that needs to be done, we have already made the commitment."

"Agent Booth, you are what many would refer to as a lapsed Catholic."

"Father -."

"Wait, please. I believe your faith is still very strong and that you practice that in your daily life with a few glaring exceptions." Booth shook his head. "Agent, this is the second child you have had that has been born out of wedlock. On this point you must own that you are not a good Catholic."

"Yes, Father."

"You have told me that you wanted to do right by your son's mother but she wouldn't allow it. And you are raising him in the Church."

"That was easier to do, Father. Rebecca is a Catholic as well."

"This time, however, you don't feel that the mother will be receptive."

"Bones is -."

"I'm sorry, Agent. Her name is Bones?"

"It's what I call her. She is Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who works out of the Jeffersonian Institution. As an anthropologist she has studied a great many religions - knowing her, she has probably studied all of them and their impact on groups." Booth shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Science is her religion."

"And I suspect she will be introducing your daughter to her beliefs – her science."

"Of course."

"And you have no problem with that?"

"No, of course not."

"But you think she would be opposed to you introducing your daughter to yours."

"You know, father, it should be that simple, but I don't think it is."

"And you haven't discussed this with her yet."

"No, sir."

"I suggest you do that, you might be surprised. When you have the facts, then we will discuss the next course of action depending upon what you two discussed."

"Yes sir." Booth didn't move. That was the answer he was expecting when he came in. He wouldn't have made the appointment at all, but there was something else on his mind.

"Agent Booth? Something else?"

Booth struggled to find the right words. "It's about forgiveness."

"You will need to go to confession if you are looking for that, Agent."

"Not that kind - not for me. And yes, I do need to go to confession." Booth shifted his seat and struggled with what to say. "Many years ago I was ... I was wronged by someone. This person has recently reentered my life."

"Seeking forgiveness?"

"That I don't know."

"Why not?"

"I haven't wanted to hear anything he has to say." Booth ran his hand through his hair. "I don't want to forgive him, but I don't want to live with this anger anymore. He had been out of my life for many years and I was able to forget about it but now that he's back – for whatever reason – and all that shit is stirred up again." Booth shot the priest a look. "I'm sorry, Father."

"Forgiveness is healthy, Agent Booth. It means letting go of the anger, but it doesn't mean you need to keep people in your life who don't respect you. You have accomplished a lot and have been a good man. That should not change by forgiving this man no matter what he has done to you. In many ways, he may have made you the man you are today, but he no longer holds sway over you."

Booth thought about it for a long moment.

"My advice to you is the same; talk to him, keep an open mind and you might be surprised."

Booth sort of laughed. "I guess until I listen to him, everything else is just made up in my head."

"Exactly."

"Thank you, father." He stood to go.

"Will we see you on Sunday, Agent?"

Booth looked a little caught. "Yes, father ... I will make sure that I'm here."

"Very good." The priest stood as well. "Bring your Dr. Temperance Brennan with you."

"Oh, I am not sure that's a good idea. She's pretty opinionated, she might start a debate."

"Trust to God, Agent Booth."

"Yes sir." Booth was still not sure he would bring Bones to church.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth got to the office late. It was a late night, early morning, and he was going to be running late all day. He checked his messages; one from his father. This time he actually listened to the message and jotted down the number. He took a couple of cleansing breaths and the dialed the number.

"Yeah, Hi. It's Seeley. ... Right, well, I understand you need my help. ... Right ... Right ... Ok ... I will need a little bit more than that. How about we meet to discuss this? There is a diner ... The Royal Diner ... Right. I'll meet you there in an hour. ... Fine." Booth snapped his phone shut.

He checked his watch. He had enough time to make it to the lab before he had to meet his father. A big dose of CJ will keep him centered. Maybe he could convince Brennan to go with him. They were partners after all and she would be level headed.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Brennan was down in the bone room when Angela came in. "He is so cute with that little girl."

"Who?"

"Booth? Such a big strong tough guy most of the time, but he is like butter with her."

"Booth is here?"

"Yeah, he's in your office with CJ."

Brennan nodded and snapped her gloves off.

"Hey, sweetie - you're going to need to watch that nanny of yours. She has got her cap set for your man Booth. You might want to marry him quickly to get him off the market."

"I fail to see how a piece of paper and agreement in front of a judge would change anything between us."

"Maybe not between you, but at least how the outside world looks at you."

Brennan left deciding that if Booth didn't speak with Adriana that day, then she would. She was on her way to her office and saw Booth out on the cat walk with CJ. Any negative she was feeling was completely nullified when she saw Booth and CJ. He was so gentle with her, so calm with her in his arms. He was pointing people and things out as if a six week old baby had a clue or could even see that far. It didn't matter; time together was the most important factor. Brennan was grateful that he wasn't using baby talk.

"Hi." She smiled and touched his arm.

"Hey." He leaned over to kiss her.

"Thought there was no PDAs at the office," she stated.

"Changed my mind." He followed through with the quick kiss.

"Where did you go this morning? You didn't tell me."

Booth didn't want to spring the subject of his trip to see Father Bishop on her. "Just needed to take care of some things. Nothing big." He fussed with the blankets around CJs face. "Is she warm enough in here? The AC is blasting."

"She's fine, Booth."

"So, I talked to my father. I'm going to meet him at the diner in thirty minutes."

"You OK with that?"

"If his granddaughter is really missing, and I can help with that, I should. It's what I do. It's what we do."

"Let's hope it's not one of our cases," Brennan said implying that they didn't want to examine her dead body.

"Would you come?" he asked. "I mean, I would like you to be there, if you can."

"I can be there, if that is what you want."

"It is." He rocked his daughter in his arms who was just looking up at him and smiling.

Brennan couldn't help but notice all the similarities between Booth and CJ. The bone markers were all there. Not that there was any question, but clearly Booth was CJs father – anyone with a trained eye could see that. She thought back to her meeting Billy Booth the day before. There were no similarities between Booth and the man calling himself his father. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

Brennan didn't know how to bring it up. If Booth knew, he should be the one to tell her. If he didn't know, she should not be the one to tell him. "You didn't seem upset when you heard that your father had a granddaughter."

"I told you that he remarried. His new wife had two children. The granddaughter is probably a child of one of those children."

Brennan didn't know how to ask. "Does that bother you? That he left you and Jared and found another family?"

Booth sat down with the baby. He stole a couple of quick glances. "Yes and no." He placed a soft kiss on his daughter's head. "Mostly no. My father was a bastard - a violent, belligerent, alcoholic, mean, selfish bastard." CJ fussed in his arms at the change of tenor in his voice. "Pops was right to kick him out."

Brennan sat down next to him. "You knew about that?"

"Yeah, I knew." His attention was on CJ.

"If you don't want to talk about it ..." she offered.

"Here is probably not the best place and we don't have much time."

"Can we talk tonight?"

He nodded slowly. Clearly he was hesitant to drag up all that ancient history with Brennan.

She did not know what was bothering him, so she took a chance. She knew why she didn't bring up her history with him; maybe they had the same motivation for keeping silent. "Booth, there is nothing you can tell me that will change my opinion of you."

"Yeah, I know ... but it's stuff that no one needs to hear and frankly I would prefer not dredging it all up - but I guess that ship pretty much sailed when he showed up. But listen, this is not for Sweets, OK? Between you and me, right?"

"Of course." She nodded. "Tonight. We'll order in and you can tell me anything you want me to know, OK?"

"Sounds like a plan." He stood up. "With any luck we'll get another dead body and I'll have to cancel."

"Booth!"

"It was a joke." He handed the baby off to her. "Hey." He touched her arm. "Thank you."

"Are you thanking me for CJ again? When does that stop?"

"Never, but this time it's for being you ... for caring ... for giving me time and spacing while standing right beside me."

She smiled. "Always."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**


	5. Chapter 5

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written During the March/April Hiatus 2011**

**Chapter Five**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Billy Booth was sitting at the corner table for two when Booth and Brennan walked in. Booth and Billy made eye contact. Realizing the table was too small, Booth gestured to move to their usual table which was open as it always seemed to be. Brennan and Booth took the side facing the door with Brennan taking the inside seat. She could feel how tense Booth was. Billy picked up his coffee and took the seat in front of Booth.

Booth started taking control of the interview. "William Booth, Dr. Temperance Brennan," he said by way of introduction, but he didn't look Billy in the eyes.

"Yes, I had the pleasure of meeting your wife yesterday." He smiled that slick slimy smile revealing his gray teeth.

"We aren't married," Booth corrected harshly. He wanted no part of Billy in his personal life. The man gave up the right to know decades ago. He was sorry he brought Brennan; she shouldn't have to deal with his baggage.

"It's nice to see you again," Billy went on ignoring Booth's harsh tone. "Thank you for talking to Seeley."

"I did what I said I would do," she answered flatly.

"Dr. Brennan is my partner," Booth drew Billy's attention back to him. "She told me that you have a missing person's case. We will be working together. If that is not suitable to you, we can leave now." Booth moved to get up.

"No, please." Billy nodded. "Yes, of course. I understand ... partners." He leaned back. "You are looking well, Seeley."

"Don't," Booth stopped him. "Let's not pretend that this is anything more than it is." He could barely tolerate the old man's voice; it was bringing up memories long since buried. "Just tell me – tell us what the issue is."

"My granddaughter is missing ... about three years now. We're at our wit's end." Booth waited and Brennan took her cue from him. "The local police in Arizona won't help as she was an adult when she left."

"Did she leave or was she taken?" Booth knew his experience with Billy would have compelled him to walk away as soon as he could and never look back, maybe the granddaughter did the same.

"We don't know."

Booth was frustrated, he really didn't want to hand hold this man though an investigation. "Did she pack a bag or did she just disappear."

"We know she is alive or was a live a year ago," he said avoiding the question. "She called my wife, Tara."

Booth shifted his position. He couldn't believe that Billy was being so causal talking about a family that Booth knew nothing about with no sign of embarrassment or guilt. The man walked away from his sons, got involved with new family and never looked back. How dare he come to Booth for help after nearly thirty years? It was worse than rude, it was despicable.

"Margaret was raised by us after her mother was killed in a car accident when Margaret was four. Margaret's mom was not my daughter, but I loved her as if she were."

Booth jaw clenched noticeably.

"We were devastated by her death, but Margaret helped us through." Billy pulled some more photos out of his bag and pushed them toward Booth. "Margaret was everything to Tara. It broke her heart when Margaret left." Silence fell over the table. Billy was probably hoping that Booth would fill the void. When it was clear that he wouldn't, Billy spoke again. "Tara is dying, Seeley. Her greatest wish is to see Margaret again before she dies."

Booth passed the pictures over to Brennan without looking at them. "What else has been done to find her?"

"We hired a private detective, but he was only able to trace her to the D.C. area. Then the trail went cold. She was always a pretty wild child; we are worried that she had gotten caught up with the wrong kind of people. She is a good girl. We love her. We miss her. We just want to know she is safe."

Booth felt the rage crawling up his spine. He bit it back. "You spoke to her a year ago?"

"Tara did. Margaret didn't tell her where she was. Just that she was OK and to stop looking for her."

"She's an adult; she can make her own choices. This doesn't sound like a missing person at all." Booth was ready to declare that no case existed and end the interview.

"I just want to find her, to tell her about Tara's illness." Billy sat up. "You don't have to tell me where she is, if she doesn't want to be found. We would just like to know that she is alright and that you got her the message." Billy looked suitably contrite. "Tara is very sick, son. Cancer. You know how devastating that can be."

Booth felt his father's manipulation and wanted to tell him to go to hell. Of course Booth new about the toll the cancer took on its victim as well as the family. Booth had firsthand knowledge of every ugly detail. "That is not much to go on."

Billy pulled a folder from his bag. "This is what the detective gave us. Not much for three thousand dollars, but maybe you can make more sense of it then I can. It also has the missing person's report we filed with the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office."

Booth took the file and passed it over to Brennan. "This will take some time."

"I will stay in town."

"This will take some time," Booth repeated as if it were an order. "Weeks, if not months. If she has truly fallen off the grid, it could take time. The FBI will not dedicate resources to this search; this is not an FBI matter. And I have a job to do. Other cases to close, murder cases." He fixed him with a cold glare stopping short of accusing him of murder. "It will take time."

"Tara doesn't have months, Seeley" Billy pleaded. Brennan took note of the look in his eye. She didn't know much about psychology, but she knew enough to know that Billy was not upset about his wife's impending death. He was using it to manipulate Booth. She made a mental note to ask Booth about that later. Why would the impending death of a women he had never be a motivating factor?

Booth knew he was being worked and wanted to blast him into next week – or three decades before.

Brennan spoke to cut the tension. "We will do what we can, but if your wife is truly as sick as you are reporting, it would be better if you were home with her and allow us to do our job?"

"Of course, you're right." Billy turned his slick smile on Brennan. Booth wanted to step in front of her as he had done on many occasions to protect her; to take that bullet. Billy's smile was deadlier than a bullet. Booth had to assume he was charming in his day, but Booth never saw that side of him.

The interview was over, but Booth didn't know how to end it. The older Booth made no apology or explanation about where he had been for twenty-nine years. The younger had long since given up expecting anything from the man and had understood years ago that there was nothing the man could say or do that would make up for the devastation that he had caused in Booth's life. Booth had moved on. Now he was just some old man with a sick wife, a dead step-daughter and a missing granddaughter.

Brennan again came to the rescue. "Booth, we need to go. We have to be back at the lab," she explained to Billy. Booth and Brennan stood up.

Billy stood with them. "I won't be able to get a plane out tonight," he said. "Is there any chance we can have dinner. Maybe Jared is -."

"Jared is not in Washington," Booth stated decisively; stepping in front of the bullet for Jared as usual too. It wasn't exactly a lie. Jared and Padme lived in Maryland. "He's fine." The implication was; he is fine, don't screw it up. "We're working tonight," he finished cutting off any chance or another invitation.

Billy had no interest in his son - either one of them. Seeley had some value being that he was a cop; Jared was useless to him. Billy tried to put on a shamed face, but even Brennan could see through it.

"Ok then." Billy said. "I shall hope to hear from you soon."

Booth stepped back to let Brennan out before him. The interview was over. Maybe he would never have to speak to the man in person again. In one sense he was relieved, in another he was disappointed that his father hadn't tried to apologize or make some excuse. He should have asked about his life, what he had been doing, something to show that he gave a rat's ass about Booth. It was just as well, Booth wouldn't have accepted anything from him. But Billy should have tried.

"Seeley," he father said softly. "Thank you. I have no right to ask for your help."

"You don't."

"You have no reason to help me."

"I don't."

"I'm grateful."

"Let me be very clear," he swallowed the word 'Dad' but stared him straight in the eye. "I am **not** doing this for you. I am doing this for a young woman who may or may not be in trouble. If I find her and she says she wants nothing to do with you – I will do everything in my power to help her achieve that goal."

"Thank you," he said again as if Booth shrugged off his original comment. "Considering what I put you, your brother and your mother through -."

"That's it!" Booth pushed Brennan out in front of him. "We're outta here." He stopped and glared at Billy again. "Don't call me, I'll call you." With that he strode out of the diner and didn't look back.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"Are you OK?" Brennan asked once they were in the SUV and driving.

"Fine," he answered quickly, but he was clearly not. "I'll drop you off at the lab."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. I feel the need to hit something, so I might go to the gym … or the firing range ... or go to a bar and pick a fight."

Brennan nodded but didn't say anything. Booth would deal in his own way and it would not be going to a bar and picking a fight. "Will you be home tonight?"

Booth shot her a look. "What do you mean?"

"Time … Space … will you be home?"

"Yes, Bones. I'm fine, really." He stole a couple of looks at her. "Don't I look fine?"

She studied him for a minute. "I don't think you want to hit something."

"No? 'Cause I thought I did."

"It looks to me like you want to yell and scream … howl at the moon - metaphorically speaking."

"Are you calling me a dog?" He tried to smile, but she was not wrong - not a bull's-eye, but not far off the mark.

"Maybe you should talk to Sweets," she suggested.

"Sweets? No. No way. Not gonna happen. I don't need another confessor today and if I did, it wouldn't be Sweets."

"Another one? Who was the first?"

"I went to see Father Bishop today." Brennan shook her head not knowing who that was. "He's the priest at my church," Booth explained.

"I see." She looked back out at the window. Booth had tried to broach the subject of religion and CJ with her several weeks back. Brennan was less than receptive but was able to put him off at the time. She hoped it was dropped. Apparently not.

"We'll need to talk about this, Bones … soon."

"Not today we won't. Not when you feel like hitting something," she stated. "Or howl at the moon."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"You can go Adriana," Brennan said around seven PM. She had been back at the lab working all afternoon. No word from Booth. Whatever he was hitting, he was hitting it hard. He had left all the pictures and files with her which she had turned over to Angela. It was undoubtedly on purpose. He was right when he said that the FBI would not dedicate resources to this cause, so Angela was their best bet.

"Mr. Booth will be coming here?"

"Booth is working tonight," Brennan dismissed.

"He works too much." Adriana frowned. "Maybe he has a reason to work so many hours away from home."

Brennan sat back in her chair. "Adriana, you have known him for a little more than a week, how can you make such an assessment?"

"I have been around many couples Mrs. Brennan. I have seen many instances where the father worked as many hours as Mr. Booth. It always came down to the fact that he was not welcome at home. It is your home, correct?"

"I find your forwardness and scrutiny of my relationship with Booth very disturbing and not within your purview."

Adriana forged ahead unchecked. "A man like Mr. Booth wants to come home at the end of a long day and be pampered, taken care of, appreciated: a clean home, a hot meal, kids attended to, and undivided attention. It's what wives do. It's what husbands expect. I have seen many a husband stray because he wasn't being taken care of at home."

Brennan was very uncomfortable with what Adriana was saying. Was that really what Booth wanted? Was that what culture demanded of a wife? She could not provide that. She would not; at least not the portrait that Adriana just painted. If that was what Booth expected in a wife, he would need to make those requests clear. She would naturally refuse him and the marriage issue would be taken off the table. Indeed the entire relationship would be called into question. "Please go home, Adriana." She stood in case Adriana was still feeling superior. "Further, I would suggest that you keep your observations and your interest in Booth in check or other arrangements will be made."

Adriana didn't care about getting fired. She had cycled through so many homes she would find another one quickly. She was good at her job and she was not wrong in her observations - normally. She was way off the mark with Booth and Brennan, but she would probably not be around long enough to realize that. Unfortunately she had been around long enough and forward enough to through a bucket of doubt on Brennan.

Adriana picked up her purse and started for the door. "You call him Booth? Does he not have a Christian name?" She shook her head. "You should consider what I have said. I have been observing couples for nearly thirty years - almost as long as you have been alive. I know a couple doomed for failure when I see one. And mark my words, if you do not provide Mr. Booth with what he seeks in a wife, there is a line of women a mile long who will."

"Adriana, that is quite enough."

"Good night, Mrs. Brennan."

"Dr. Brennan," Brennan corrected.

Adriana smiled a knowing smile - as if Brennan had just proved her point.

Brennan sat for a moment after Adriana left. She would of course find a new nanny, but Brennan could not shake the feeling that Adriana was not entirely wrong.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Angela came in just as Adriana was walking out. "No Mary Poppins that one - more Peyton Flanders."

"I don't know who those people are."

"Peyton Flanders? ... _**The Hand the Rocks the Cradle**_? ... Rebecca De Mornay? ... Creepy nanny set out to _**Gaslight**_ a mom and steal her family?" Brennan had no idea what Angela was talking about. "We really need to get you a Netflix account, Sweetie."

"Did you have something, Angela?"

"You know me, I have it all." She smirked. "Well all there was to get."

Brennan followed Angela to her office and they took position in front of Angela's large display. Angela launched into what she had found.

"Meeting William Thackeray Booth," she started and popped up an image of a young Billy Booth; it was a mug shot. "Born to Linda and Hank Booth in 1949 a scant three months after Linda and Hank married." She popped up a picture of a young woman and man, the man looking like Hank at age twenty-five to thirty. "Meet Henry Joseph Booth, born in 1951, second son to Linda and Hank and brother to Billy." Another picture came up of a young man not more than eighteen. The man looked shocking like Booth - their Booth, Seeley Booth.

"Angela, Booth would not like you digging into his history like this."

"Just setting the stage, Sweetie." She threw up a couple more pictures of the young Booth boys. "In 1967 Billy Booth joined the Air Force and became a pilot. In 1969, a month before Joseph was to turn eighteen, he joined the army. Four months later he was killed in action. A busy year for the Booth family, Billy was discharged after suffering an injury to his right leg. The injury was not attained in battle. Two months later he was married to Gayle Easton - literally the girl next door. In early 1970, Seeley Joseph Booth was born to Billy and Gayle - two months between marriage and birth."

"Angela - this is not what I asked." Brennan and Angela both knew what Angela was implying, but Brennan was very uncomfortable knowing what Booth's reaction would be if he were to find out that they were digging into his past.

Angela went on. "Also in 1970, Billy Booth opened a barber shop. In 1974, Gayle and Billy welcomed their son Jared to the world. By 1976, Billy had been picked up seven times for DUI, public drunkenness and assault. There was also a number of domestic disturbance calls to the Booth home. Also in 1976, Gayle was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She died at home in 1979. By 1982, Billy had been arrested five more times on assault and other domestic issues - alcohol was a factor in each incident."

"Angela, please."

"Billy closed his shop and dropped off the grid in 1982 not to be picked up again until 1985 in Prescott Arizona when he married Tara Carroll. If I listed out his rap sheet of the past 25 years we would be here all night. Suffice it to say he will never be given a driver's license again, he has totaled seven cars, been in and out of jail for assault, domestic abuse, you name it. The guy is a dead beat - if you ask me he did Booth and Jared a favor walking out."

"Angela," Brennan scolded.

"A picture came up of a young red haired woman with fair complexion. "Tara, mother of Shauna, father unknown was eleven at the time of the Billy/Tara nuptials." A picture was put up of a dark skinned girl that Brennan assumed was Shauna. It could be assumed that the father was of African descent. "In 1991, when Shauna was just seventeen years old, she gave birth to Margaret Carroll Jackson. Joe Jackson is listed as the father. As yet I have found no information on Jackson. Shauna was killed in a single car accident in 1995. She was driving." Angela shot Brennan a look. "Billy Booth was a passenger in the car and suffered minor injuries. Custody of Margaret went to Billy and Tara. She graduated from Prescott High School - Home of the Badgers in 2009 and left town and essentially dropped off the grid. She has never filed a tax return; never renewed her driver's license. I don't show record of her buying a house, a car, having a credit card, health insurance, library card. And I have tried pretty much all permutations of her name. I have narrowed my search to DC and the surround area for the last three years - as the last reported contact from Margaret was from DC."

"You haven't found anything?"

"I found this." She threw up a mug shot. "Meet Java, aka Maggie Carroll." The girl in the mug shot could be Margaret. "Arrested for prostitution. That was over a year and a half ago. Nothing since which is why I had so much time to research the Booth family tree."

Brennan sighed. "Is that more than the private detective got?"

"Yes. I'm widening my search using the AKA of Java, but so far no luck. She could be anywhere, using any name. I have no idea how we will find her."

"Thank you Angela." Brennan turned to her. "You shouldn't have looked into Booth's past."

"It gives background."

"Background that Booth has not offered up on his own. Please, do not discuss what you found with anyone. Not even Jack."

Angela nodded. "It fills in some of the holes and explains the differences between Booth and Jared."

"There is a lot more that we don't know - please forget you everything you just learned."

"Alright," she said. "I'll give you what I have on the Maggie - it isn't much."

"Thank you Angela."

Brennan was just about to walk out. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure, sweetie."

"Do you think men become dissatisfied with marriage and their wives because they are not attended to at home?"

"Are you talking about sex? Jeez, sweetie, please tell me that after two nights it hasn't gone stale between you two."

"No, Angela, the sex is fine - better than fine." Brennan didn't want to give too many more details. "I'm talking about what a husband expects from a wife - in terms of making a home."

"Making a home? You mean like a homemaker? Like heels and pearls? Dinner on the table at six? Kids washed and in bed by seven? Donna Reed? June Cleaver? Carol Brady? Come on, Sweetie, wake up and smell the new millennium."

"I don't know who those people are."

"Look, sweetie. I'm not sure what you are getting at and I don't know where this is coming from, but Booth loves you. What you have may not be traditional, but it's a hell of a lot more than most people get." Something occurred to Angela. "Did the nanny from hell say something to you?" She shook her head. "Communication, sweetie. It's all about communication. You can make a tuna casserole to die for, but it won't mean a thing if you don't communicate. Keep talking, keep listening, keep communicating and don't assume you know what he is thinking or feeling - and don't let him assume he knows what you are. That is the secret to any good relationship - communication." She smiled. "Hot sex goes a long way too. My favorite kind of communication."

Brennan smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Angela."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

**A/N: **Thank you again for reading, commenting and alerting. Really helps on those late night writing sessions.


	6. Chapter 6

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written During the March/April Hiatus 2011**

**Chapter Six**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth let himself into the apartment just after eleven PM very quietly. The living room was dark; Brennan must have gone to bed like he told her she should. He kicked off his shoes, stripped off his coat, tie, holster, shirt, pants and garish socks leaving him in boxers alone. He didn't want to wake Brennan by undressing in the bedroom. He had a plan; he had been thinking about it all night. He was going to look in on his sleeping daughter; then he was going to slip into bed with his beautiful soon-to-be wife, wake her up slowly with butterfly kisses and fingertip caresses, and then make love to her without saying a word. Booth was a great believer in non-verbal communication.

He tossed his clothes on the stool and moved silently down the hall. The door to CJ's room was ajar. He eased in and gazed at his beautiful little girl. He thought about her a lot that day too. Made promises to himself that he would be the best father he could be; that his little girl would never be in doubt about his love or dedication to her. He would support her in all her desires and protect her from everything he should. When he saw her sleeping so soundly he prayed asking for health and strength to keep his promises.

After checking the baby monitor to be sure it was set to one-way, he eased out and closed the door. The door to the bedroom was open. They never closed it. It too was dark to see clearly. He edged over to the bed, slipped out of his boxers and pulled the covers down slowly. Just as he was about to sit down on the bed, the light came on. His plan was foiled.

"What are you doing?" Brennan asked from the door way. Her hair was mussed up and she had the afghan from the living room wrapped around her shoulders. "Were you trying to sneak into bed and not wake me so I wouldn't know how late you got home?"

Booth fell into bed and kept the blanket bloused over his pointy bits. "I was going to wake you." He patted the bed next to him. "You would have really enjoyed how."

She smiled, dropped the afghan revealing her standard nighttime wear – camisole and panties. "Oh, really?" She flipped off the lights and joined him.

"I missed you," he whispered into her ear as he kissed her and used his finger tips to re-familiarize himself with all her curves.

"I missed you too." She moved into his caresses and gave some of her own. "You OK?"

"Right now, at this moment – I don't have a care in the world." He playfully bit down on her neck and growled.

She wiggled away from him. "I have dinner for you," she offered.

"Not hungry for food," he mumbled.

"I was waiting up to give you my undivided attention," she said. "Like I'm supposed to."

That made him laugh and took him out of his plan. "Supposed to? According to whom?"

"I had a conversation with Adriana today."

"Oh yeah?"

"She thinks you work too hard and that I should pay more attention to your needs."

"Me? And what, you sit around and eat BonBons all day?"

"I don't think she has a high opinion of working mothers, which is interesting because if it weren't for working mothers, she wouldn't have a job."

"Did you point that out to her?"

"Didn't really come up."

"So what she told you to be home with dinner on the table ready to attend to my every need?" He continued his attentions.

"Essentially."

"I could get behind that" he joked.

"Is that what you want?"

"Right … that's the way I like my women – docile, subservient, mindless." He went back to kissing her neck, shoulder and down her arm. He realized that she wasn't as enthusiastic as he hoped she would be. "Bones, what the hell? Do you really think that's what men want?"

"I don't care what men want, I care what your expectations are." She sat up and looked down at him. "I can't be that kind of woman … I don't know how. And I am pretty sure this is something I don't want to learn."

"Not asking you to or expecting you to be THAT KIND of women." He rolled onto his back and looked up at her. The conversation hadn't ruined his mood yet, but it was getting close. "Don't know what century Adriana is living it, but it doesn't affect me - or us." He ran his hand up under her camisole explored the curves in her back. "Tell her to mind her own business."

"What are you expectations?" she asked.

"Right now, I would hope that you would want to talk less and act more." He moved his hand around her waist to her stomach and edged her breasts enticingly.

"I've read that many couples attempt to resolve conflict with sex," she stated like she had been researching this topic all night. "Most experts agree that it is not a solution."

He rolled toward her and started kissing her thigh. "A - we're not in conflict, B - making love is not sex, making love is communicating without words and C - ... well I don't have a C." He rolled onto his back again and threw his arm over his face. "Would have been so much easier if you were in bed and I woke you up slowly."

She slid down next to him on the bed; she moved her hand across his stomach and chest. "Angela says that all a relationship needs to survive is communication." She kissed his chest and pulled herself up so she was over him. "Two way communication ... of all kinds."

He moved his arm. "Angela is a very smart woman." He moved her so she was straddling him - he loved that view even in the shadows. He pulled her camisole over her head and tossed it to the other side of the room. There was no more verbal communication, at least nothing coherent or in full sentences.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

CJ woke around three fussed a little and went back to sleep. Brennan and Booth were not sleeping but were enjoying the quiet stillness of morning. Booth pulled himself from her embrace to get some water. He was back quickly after stopping by to look in on CJ.

"She will sleep through the night," he said slipping back into the place he just vacated.

"We should think about that too," Brennan said. "Sleep. But I have gotten used to this time with you - seems like it has been this way forever."

"It should have been ... what did I tell you, huh? Fate."

Brennan shook her head and smiled. She would not get into that debate with him. "Where did you go today? Did you hit something or did you scream?" she asked. "You don't have to tell me."

"I went to see my mother," he told her. He saw that she was confused. "I went to her grave site and just sat there and talked to her."

"That's in Philadelphia, isn't it?"

"Yes, long drive. I haven't been there in a while." He looked over at her. "Don't make fun of me. I know what you think of visiting the dead in graveyards, but it makes me feel better. It's like she hasn't really gone." Brennan nodded. "I told her about you and CJ and what has gone on in the past couple of years. Told her how big Parker was getting and what a good kid he was." He frowned. "Told her that Dad finally showed up looking for favors."

Brennan felt Booth tense up and she rubbed his chest to work that tension away.

"It was good to get it out. Cathartic ... you know?"

"I understand."

"Do you?"

"Well not for myself, but I understand how you might get comfort in that." She looked up at him. "Will you take me with you the next time you go?"

"Sure." He pulled her close to him. "What did you do while I was away?"

She listed a number of mundane lab responsibilities that she attended to. She again alluded to her discussion with Adriana and suggested that it was time to look for a new nanny. Booth offered to talk with Adriana but Brennan said it was past that point. Then she told him the abbreviated version of what Angela had found.

"Maggie Carroll?" Booth said sitting up.

Brennan shrugged. "Yes."

"Maggie Carroll is Margaret Jackson? Margaret Jackson the granddaughter to Tara Carroll Booth ... married to my father."

She shrugged again. "Does that mean something?"

Booth pulled himself out of bed and pulled on his boxers. "Did you bring the file home with you ... the pictures?"

"All in the kitchen." He left the room to go to the kitchen.

Brennan wondered if she should follow or if he would come back. She pulled on her bathrobe and started to follow him, but he was back with the file, pictures and box of cereal under his arm.

"Booth, you are not eating that in bed."

"I'll be careful." He said plopping down opening up the file and spreading out the information on the bed.

"Where is the picture Dad gave us?" Brennan pulled it out from the pile. Then she sorted through to find the mug shot of Maggie Carroll. They could be the same woman. "Did Angela do that age thing ... you know where she ages the face ... did she do that?"

Brennan flipped through some more pages and found Angela's rendering. "Three years is really not enough time to see a change, but it is reasonable for Margaret to become Maggie if drugs, poor nutrition and living conditions."

Booth studied both pictures. He was convinced - they were the same. He held up Margaret's picture. "I know her, Bones. I met her. She was in my office."

"What? When?"

"January ... no December ... it was the warehouse fire. You know the one that killed eight women, pregnant women."

"Yes, yes ... If I remember correctly, you told me something about a prostitute coming to your office by the name of Java with some information about that fire and those deaths. Nothing could be proven."

He held up the mug shot. "This is Java ... Maggie Carroll from Prescott Arizona." He shook his head in disbelief. Small world, huh?"

"I'm not sure what the size of the earth has to do with this, but it's an amazing coincidence."

Booth shivered as he remembered that conversation with Java. She had offered herself to him. She has damn near showed him everything there was to see. And they were related - sort of. Thank God Booth didn't make a habit out of having sex with prostitutes.

"So she is in Washington, working the streets. She shouldn't be that hard to find."

"No," he protested. "She said she was leaving - getting out of that ... that line of work. Said she was heading for warmer locations. That was eight months ago, she could be anywhere. She was hiding from Ralph Kingston."

"He's dead."

"He wasn't at the time. She probably got new ID and left town."

"How will we trace her?"

"I know a guy ... a kid really ... he might know something ... he's got his fingers in a lot of pies." Booth reached over to grab his phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"The kid ... my CI."

"Booth, it's four o'clock in the morning."

"You think he won't be up? Please." Booth dialed and waited. Voice mail came up. "Ricky - Booth - same place - 9AM - sharp." He ended the call.

"I thought you said he was he would be up."

"Up yes, but not taking my calls. He has a reputation to maintain." Booth looked at the picture of the young Margaret again. "Wow - small world." Something caught his eye. He pulled out another picture - one that was printed at the Jeffersonian that day. The picture was of a man in an army uniform - he could have been Booth or at the very least Booth's brother or father. "Where did you get this?" He held it up.

Brennan looked shamed. She didn't look at the file when she got home; she didn't realize that Angela had given her everything that she had dug up. "That is Henry Joseph -."

"I didn't ask who it was; I asked where you got it?"

"It's my fault Booth - don't blame Angela."

He eyes were pinched, his jaw was tensed, his fist was clenched. "Waiting for an answer here, Bones."

"Angela did a full background on Billy Booth."

Booth stood up and moved away from the bed. "She had no right. You had no right."

"I'm sorry. We were only trying to help. It's my fault."

He shook his head. "You're not going to take the fall for Angela. I know you too well, Bones. I know you would never do this - you would never dig into something that was not your business especially when it comes to me."

"You are my business ... if we continue a relationship ... if we get married ... if we expect to spend the next thirty, forty, fifty years together, there should be no secrets."

"It's not a secret Bones ... it's my story ... my story to tell, not my story for you to run a background check and put through your microscope and super computer." He gathered up the file and went to the living room.

Brennan sat there for a long moment not knowing if she should follow but feeling as if she had to. 'If this is what being in a relationship is like," she thought. 'I don't think I am up for it.' CJ stirred. She must have overheard them talking. Brennan went to attend her daughter.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

CJ was indeed up. She needed to changed and fed. Brennan had sat down in the rocker to feed the baby when Booth came in. He knelt down next to them and softly stroked CJs head. It was at this time, when Brennan was breast feeding that he felt so separate and unnecessary to his baby and her mother. He felt he had to be there with them so he wasn't shut out all together. It would be considered jealousy if it were anyone else, but for Booth it was pure envy. The bonding that must go on between a mother and child was incalculable during this experience. He had to be a part of it in some way.

Brennan ran her fingers through his hair and watched him watch them. She never felt like she was part of any group until this, those times with her baby at her breast and Booth at her knee. She was happy, content, connected. Again she felt the overwhelming desire to stop time.

"Should I be calling you Seeley or have some other nickname for you other than Booth?" she asked softly as not to disturb CJ.

"Huh?" He didn't take his eyes off of the baby, but rubbed his other hand down the inside of her calf.

"We sleep together. We have a child together. We are talking about sharing our lives together. Should I call you something else?"

He looked up at her and saw that she was really asking. That is wasn't just some odd random Brennan type question. It was a point of social order that she wanted clarified. "What do you want to call me?"

"I think of you as Booth only the meaning has changed."

"Then you have your answer."

"You have always had a nickname for me," she pointed out. "Even when I didn't like it - it was a term of endearment. You don't call me by my first name or my last name. I don't know what is right."

"Where is this coming from? Oh wait, don't tell me, Adriana." Booth shook his head. "Bones, you are going to have to stop listening to people who are clearly jealous of you. She sees what we have and she is jealous so she nitpicks and digs and makes you doubt yourself - doubt us. It isn't her business - it's ours."

Brennan nodded. She understood that. But Hannah had called him Seeley; he told Brennan that he didn't like to be called that, but he didn't stop Hannah. It felt wrong to bring up Hannah at such an intimate moment for the family.

"Bones, you can call me whatever you want ... just don't call me late for dinner." He grinned. "It's a joke, Bones."

"I'm sorry ... Seeley." The name hung between them and they booth shook their heads and smiled. "Booth," she corrected. "I'm sorry I invaded your privacy. As soon as I saw where Angela was going, I should have stopped her. I did ask her to keep what she found confidential even from Jack."

He nodded. "Thank you." He shook his head and sat down on the floor next to her. "It's not a secret - well I guess maybe it is a secret. It's something we don't talk about - none of us." He continued to absentmindedly rub her calf with both hands. "I think I know, but let me ask - where do you come down on the nature vs. nurture debate. Do you think DNA overrides how you were raised?"

"There is scientific proof that DNA has greater influence physiologically. There are things that are written in the genes that cannot be escaped - bone structure, eye color, physical conditions, inherited diseases. I think those are very important shaping a person. For example your DNA allowed you to be as athletic as you are, as handsome as you are, as physically sound as you are."

"You think I'm handsome?"

"You are structured quite well," she smiled. "And I do respond to the breadth of your shoulders and strong jaw line. I have since we met."

"Thanks, Bones." He frowned. "That's why you asked for my DNA?" He sounded disappointed.

"Initially perhaps, but not solely based on that. I told you." She looked down at her daughter who was nearly done feeding. "I asked you because I loved you - simply put - and knew that I would love my child all the more for that. At the time I couldn't have you in my life, but -." She touched his shoulder. "I'm not sure what I should say here, Booth. Would you love CJ less if she were not biologically your daughter? Maybe if she wasn't we would never have gotten together. Or if we did and had another child maybe you would love that child more."

Booth couldn't imagine feeling any different about CJ than he did. He attributed that to the bonding that he and Brennan had done during the pregnancy and his long denied feelings for her. But maybe she was right - maybe it is written in the DNA to love your biological children.

"But there is an argument to be made for nurture as well. I will speak for myself rather than hypothetically. I was always a bit of an awkward child. Didn't socialize well with other children my age. Introverted and solitary. Did that come from my parents genetically through some recessive gene transfer? Maybe, or maybe I was reacting to our living in hiding. I have thought a great deal about it since we first discovered the true origin of Temperance Brennan, aka Joy Keenan. Did something happen at the time that a small child responded to, did my personality literally go from Joyful to Temperate? And then after my parents left being shuffled from foster family to foster family, that most certainly shaped my response to the world and the people in it. But none of that was from DNA, those are environmental factors. So I believe that while we can't escape our DNA, we are affected by our environment. However we can overcome our nurture, if you will."

Booth looked over at CJ. "She's asleep." He stood and took the sleeping child very carefully from her arms and placed her back in the crib. He tucked a blanket around her.

Brennan stood behind him. "Yes, you gave your DNA to create her, but it will be your constant love and attention that will shape her to face the world. She is a very lucky girl to have both from you."

"Thanks, Bones."

"For her, or for what I said.

"All of it ... all of you." He turned around and pulled her into a very tight embrace. He released her and took her hand. "I want to tell you a story ... a history ... my history." He led her from the room.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

He opted for the living room rather than the bedroom. They settled on the couch with Angela's file spread out before them. He sifted through the pictures until he found one of Hank and Linda Booth.

"Hank had been in love with Linda since the fifth grade. Pops used to tell me how he would tease her on the playground and follow her home after school. Linda never gave him the time of day until they were in their senior year then she went to the senior prom with him. They danced, they talked, they walked along the water in the moonlight and talked about a future - not together, just a future. Hank had joined the army and was leaving the next day. They promised to write and they did for a while but they sort of lost touch. Hank returned home after his tour was up. He and Linda met by accident at a movie theater. She was with some guy ... Rossi, Mark Rossi. Hank didn't like him the moment they met. About six months later, Hank and Linda ran into each other again. Rossi was gone. Linda and Hank got to talking. They met for coffee - or whatever people met for back in the day. Hank really thought it was going somewhere. He never stopped loving her. She told him one day that they couldn't see each other anymore. After a lot of prompting she told him that she was pregnant and that Rossi had left town. Without hesitation Hank offered himself. He proposed and said that he would raise her child as his and love him as if he were. Linda agreed. And Hank did. William Booth was born. A couple years later Henry Joseph Booth was born." Booth pulled out a picture of the Booth boys. They had their arms around each other's shoulders and looked very happy, but they didn't look like brothers, at least not genetically.

"Hank loved both his sons though they were as different as night and day. Billy was always getting into trouble, Joe was a bit of a wild child too, but he had goals in life. The brothers did everything together - they were inseparable. They both fell in love with the girl next door; Gayle Easton. She liked both the Booth boys, but favored Joe over Billy. A rift between the brothers was formed. Billy joined the Air Force and went off to learn to fly jets. He was drinking pretty steady at the time and getting into bigger trouble. Hank hoped that the Air Force would teach him some discipline. At seventeen Joe joined the Army - the Air Force wouldn't take him. The night before he was to leave, Gayle and he were together. He wanted to marry her, but she said they would marry when he got back. Joe was headed to Viet Nam, there was no guarantee that he would be coming back. Four months later he came home in a box. Around that same time Billy had injured himself. The family fiction says that he fell down a flight of stairs and broke his ankle. I am not sure. It could easily have been a fight. He was sent home. Mr. Easton came to Hank and told him that his daughter was in trouble and that she named Joe as the father. Of course there was nothing to be done about that, Joe was dead. He never knew he was going to have a child - not that it would have made any difference. Hank knew of Billy and Joe's preference for Gayle and suggested to Billy to marry her, take care of her, raise his brother's child as his own. Billy agreed, Gayle agreed. Enter Seeley Joseph Booth."

Brennan reached out to take his hand. He nodded and smiled slightly. He wanted to get through this history quickly.

"Billy opened a barber shop. Gayle went to work for an advertising company. They had another son four years later, Jared. The pressures of family life were too much for Billy. He drank, stayed out with his friends and only came home to change clothes, eat and fight with his wife. I never saw him hit her, but he manhandled her a lot. And the fights would keep me up at night. Gayle never said an unkind word about Billy to her sons. She made excuses for him. Money was tight but we made do. Then the unthinkable happened. My mother - Gayle was diagnosed with ovarian cancer." Booth choked up at this.

Brennan squeezed his hand. "How old were you?"

"Six ... I six years old and knew nothing about death. Billy sunk lower into the bottle - barely ever came home at all. The fighting with Gayle stopped; he had turned his attention on us - me and Jared. I did everything I could to get between my father and Jared but I was a kid. Jared was two. I grew up pretty fast. Gram - Linda helped out a lot as my mother got sicker. I spent most of my time with her, just talking about anything. She kept telling me that Billy was a good man. She was very sick toward the end. My father was never around. And then one spring day, the first really warm day of the year, my mother asked to go outside." Booth could barely hold back the tears. "I helped her out on the porch. There were daffodils in the garden. I went down and cut her a few. She smiled the sweetest smile I have ever seen. She touched my face and told me she loved me." He paused again and took a deep breath. "Then she put her head back against the chair and ... was gone."

Brennan pressed his hand and held it. She didn't bother to hold back her own tears.

"I was nine," he said. "Things got worse. I was mad. Really, really mad. At God. At my father. At my mother for leaving me. At the world. The fighting with my father escalated, I started fighting back. Not the brightest move I have ever made. Gram was still helping out at the house, but was never around to see Billy at his worst. I was about thirteen - no twelve when Linda noticed a bruise on my back. She asked about it. I lied. Told her I fell off my bike or something. A few days later, my father was just wailing on me, and in walked Pops with Linda right behind him. Linda took me and Jared back to their house; Pops stayed there with my father. I didn't see or hear from my father again until a couple days ago. Pops never said anything, just that my father was gone."

They sat there for a long moment, Brennan just holding his hand.

"So that is my sad story," he looked at her and half smiled. "But I came out OK, didn't I?"

She almost laughed. "Very well. It makes my story look normal."

He shook his head. "Nothing normal about where either of us came from - probably why we get along so well." He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. "We were both abandoned. At least I had Pops and Gram. Like I said, if it weren't for Pops, I would have killed myself."

"When did you know that Billy was not your father - biologically speaking?"

Booth shook his head. "I think I knew it from a very young age, but I finally had confirmation when we were cleaning out my mother's things. I found a box with letters and journals. I read them. I shouldn't have, but I did. Uncle Joe was just a name to me. I never knew him. He was just some guy that Dad told stories about. It didn't make a difference." Booth shrugged. "Billy is my father; the only father I have ever known - but like you said there are traits that you can't deny biologically. It's probably why Jared is an alcoholic and I'm not. William Booth and I share no DNA, but he is still my father - the son of a bitch. A lot of who I am today is because of him."

"Because of and in spite of," Brennan stated. "Yes he influenced your life, but it was you who made you who you are." She leaned closer to him. "You are an amazing man, Seeley Booth - in so many ways." She kissed him. "Thank you for telling me your history."

"Doesn't make you want to run away?"

"Not at all. If anything it makes me want hold you closer."

He smiled and rubbed his hand down her thigh. "How about you hold me close as we try to eek out a couple hours of sleep?"

"I would like that."

Hand in hand they padded down the hall, past their sleeping daughter's room, curled into each other and found comfort that only dreamless sleep can provide. Brennan never let go of his hand.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**


	7. Chapter 7

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written During the March/April Hiatus 2011**

**Chapter Seven**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth waited for over an hour at the hot dog stand. Around ten, the employees arrived to open up. Booth ducked into an alleyway to wait for another thirty minutes. Ricky was typically on time. There must have been a good reason he was late.

The time gave Booth a chance to think - too much time. There was so much more he didn't tell Brennan; she didn't need to know ever sordid detail. He had spent his teenage years putting it behind him, forgetting it. It wasn't easy. He thanked God for Pops, Gram, a coach that was able to redirect his anger and aggression into damn never every athletic team there was, and a very caring guidance counselor who basically challenged Booth to go to college. He had some good people in his corner at a very pivotal time in his life.

As he waited for Ricky, he thought about the time before his father left. He was a small soft kid; didn't really grow into the hard bodied Army Ranger / disciplined Sniper / Special Agent for the FBI until he was an adult. The physical abuse at the hands of his father was pretty hard to take, no question about it. But the mental abuse, the things his father would say to him were cruel and vicious. Of course as a child with no one but a parents input, the slurs, the name calling, teasing were all pretty easy to believe. Booth was convinced that his father hated him because he was worthless, stupid, lazy or any of the hundred or so other things his father had said to him. When his mother got sick, he was a mamma's boy, weak, a girl, and other names that shouldn't ever be repeated to anyone. Booth believed it of course when he father was right in front of him. He believed that he was useless and would never amount to anything late at night when the house was quiet. He believed it deep down probably still today. Each day he had to get up and look himself in the mirror and tell himself that he had value and worth. If Sweets knew the truth, he would probably say that the reason Booth didn't handle rejection well, was due to his father's abuse. Good thing Sweets will never know the details.

He had led Brennan to believe that his father was absent a lot, but that was not the truth. Billy would be home every night. He started drinking at the shop sometime in the afternoon so by time he rolled into the house he was - to put it politely - three sheets to the wind. There were other descriptions that were more accurate but unnecessary so many years later. One of Booth's jobs after school was to come down and sweep the floors. That started when he was in first grade, six or seven. There were a group of men that were always in the shop, old Air Force/High School buddies; drinking buddies. A couple of them were OK. But most of them just laughed when his father berated him for doing it wrong, calling him stupid, lazy or gay. After his mother got sick, Booth wound up taking Jared with him to the shop so she could rest. He was helpless as he father put gin, vodka or scotch in Jared's juice. The men all laughed as Jared would stumble around, fall down or throw up. They had tried it with Booth too, but he stood firm and suffered the consequences.

The more he dredged up all these old memories the angrier he got. He wasn't a weak little kid any more. He was strong, capable, confident. But he still couldn't look his father in the eye. He still couldn't stand to visualize him. He didn't want to hear his voice. Billy Booth was a weak old man now. He was probably dying of cirrhosis of the liver or lung cancer or just from being a mean hateful bitter old man. Booth didn't believe that Billy had changed at all. He could never take another drink, and Booth would never want him in his life. The best thing his father ever did for him was to leave and not come back. It must be something really big for him to ask for Booth's help now.

He pulled out his phone and called Angela.

"Angela."

"Booth, hey ... um ... Brennan is in her office."

"Wanted to talk to you," he said flatly.

"Yeah, about that ... look, I'm sorry ... you know me ... always going the extra mile ... I didn't mean ... I mean ... look, you know I love you, right?"

"Angela, stop. I get it, OK? Really, it's alright. I mean it's not alright, but it's fine. OK?"

"Yeah, yeah OK."

"Look, my father .. Billy Booth is looking for this Margaret Jackson for a reason. Do you know why?"

"If we assume that the sick grandmother thing is a ruse?"

"Yeah, assume that. What can you tell me?"

"Not much more than I did. I can keep looking, if you want? I mean, if you ask me to, I will keep looking to see what I can find."

"Yeah, yeah do that."

"Any ideas where I should start?"

"Well, just like any other case - follow the money."

"Right. You got it Sweetie, give me a couple of hours."

"Thanks Angela."

"Hey Booth, I really am sorry."

"Ange - forget it - I mean really forget it."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth hung up and checked his watch. Something was wrong. Ricky was over two hours late. That was really unlike him. Booth was about to call when he heard something odd in the alley. It sounded like a groan. He looked around and saw a pair of ratty sneakers sticking out from under a pile of boxes. He pulled his weapon and went to investigate. He kicked off some of the boxes and saw the sneakers were attached to a body and the body had blood on it, a lot of blood. He holstered his weapon and pulled the rest of the boxes off. It was Ricky – he had been beaten to within an inch of his life.

"Ricky!" He felt for a pulse. The kid was alive. Booth pulled his phone to call an ambulance.

"No hospital," Ricky groaned. "No cops."

"Ricky, I'm a cop."

"Booth?" He tried to open one eye and sit up but fell back down. "You're late, man. You should have been here … well a long time ago."

"What the hell happened to you?"

"I tripped."

"Into someone's fist a bunch of times?" Booth was at a loss as to what to do. "Man, you need a doctor."

"No hospital, no cops," Ricky repeated.

Booth thought for a minute. "Fine, can you get up."

"Sure, I'm fine. Really." Ricky was unable to move.

Booth picked him up and Ricky cried out from the pain. "Sorry, Rick." Booth carried him as gently as he could out to his SUV which was actually parked at the other end of the alley. He put Ricky in the back. As he was walking around the side of the car he called Brennan. "Bones, I need you." He said desperately. "At my apartment, as soon as you can get there." He was about to hang up. "Bring a First Aid kit and … and … Cam. As soon as you can get there."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Brennan hung up with Booth. She hadn't heard him so anxious in a very long time. She stood, grabbed her bag. "Adriana, I need to be somewhere. Please stay here until I get back."

"Leaving?" Adriana scolded. "It's almost time for CJ to eat. You should wait."

"It can't wait." There was expressed milk for just such an occurrence, Brennan didn't need to stay.

"Your child should come first," Adriana stated. "Clearly you are not concerned -."

Brennan stood tall and steeled her spine. "Adriana – your services are no longer required. I would like for you to return me the key card to the Jeffersonian and the keys to my apartment. I'll send a check to the agency for the full week."

"I have a contract, you can't fire me."

"You contract has been canceled." Brennan picked up the phone and called Angela. "I need you to watch CJ." Angela was in her office in a flash. "Adriana – the key card, the keys. Or I will have security retrieve them and escort you off the premises."

Adriana complied. "You will be hearing from the agency."

"I expect they will be hearing from me." She was done with Adriana. "Angela, Cam and I have to step out. I'm not sure when we will be back."

"Take your time, Sweetie."

Brennan blew past a stunned Adriana.

Angela stuck out her hip and put her hand on her waist. "You think Dr. Brennan was tough? You ain't seen nothing yet, sweetheart. Time for you to go."

Adriana threw hands up and left.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Cam was in the car with Brennan before she asked what was going on.

"I don't know. Booth sounded pretty upset. He asked for us."

"Both of us?"

"Yes and the first aid kit."

"Is he hurt?"

Brennan's jaw tensed. "I don't know."

Cam realized that Brennan didn't know much and speculating was making her more agitated.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth brought Ricky up the back way so he wouldn't be seen. He laid him out on the bed and started inspecting his injuries.

"Hey, dude …what are you doing?" Ricky asked trying to pull himself away but was too weak to move.

"Trying to keep you alive," Booth barked back. Seeing this kid all beat up was bringing up some pretty powerful memories from his time in Iraq to his time with his father. If nothing else was clear, this was not a fair fight; Booth had been on the wrong side of those more often than he cared to admit.

"I'm fine." He coughed and winced in pain. One eye was completely swollen shut; the other was only barely open. "Just need … you know … time to rest up." Cough and wince again. "A place to lay low." He swallowed hard. "Do you have a drink?"

"Yeah, yeah sure."

Booth went to the kitchen to get some water. He was helping Ricky with it and the kid nearly choked.

"What the hell, dude? Is that water?"

"Yeah."

"I need a drink ... you know … drink … vodka, tequila would be better."

"How old are you?"

"You carding me? Gonna take me in for underage drinking." He coughed into a spasm and cried out in pain.

"Water is all you get for now."

He heard Brennan and Cam come in. He went out to greet them.

"Have a situation here. One of my CI's got pretty roughed up. He's refusing to go to the hospital. You're what I've got."

"Booth, we don't work with the living," Cam protested.

"Just see what you can do. His name is Ricky."

Brennan and Cam shared a look and then followed Booth down the hall to his bedroom.

Ricky was trying to sit up but he started coughing and spit up blood. "Shit ... that can't be good." He sat back down. "Sorry about the rug, B-man."

Cam and Brennan took over. They got him to lie back down. They took off his shirt revealing a number of bruises and lacerations. He wasn't just punched; he was hit with something sharp and hard.

"Who are these fine ladies, Booth … Booth's Angels … you keeping secrets from me old man?"

"He's gotten several broken ribs," Brennan said. "Some broken fingers, probably fractures on his ulna and radius from looking at these injuries … I'm going to need to check that leg. He needs a full set of X-rays."

"No hospitals," Ricky protested.

"He's probably punctured a lung," Cam added. "There may be internal bleeding. We've got to take him to the hospital."

"No hospitals," Ricky said again.

Booth surveyed the kid's injuries. He was getting angrier by the moment. Ricky was a small kid, couldn't defend himself. Whoever did this was not trying to kill him, but wanted him in severe pain. "Who did this to you, Ricky?" Booth demanded.

"You can't get me to squeal, copper." Ricky tried to laugh but dropped into a coughing fit.

"I'm not playing around here, Ricky. Who did this to you?"

"Just a misunderstanding between friends."

"Ricky!"

"Look, Macky and me …we just had a misunderstanding. We'll straighten it out in a week or two." He coughed and stifled the pain. "As soon as I get him his money. No big deal."

"Booth, he shouldn't be talking."

"Macky? Booth demanded. "Mac Macky? Was this over numbers? You running numbers, Ricky?"

"Gotta eat, Booth."

Booth had enough. He looked at Brennan. "Take care of him."

"Where are you going?" She followed him out to the living room.

"To see a man about a horse," Booth snapped and left.

Brennan went back to the bedroom where Cam was arguing with Ricky about going to the hospital.

"Can't do it. Can't."

Cam looked at Brennan who was clearly at a loss for what to do. Then an idea struck Cam. She pulled her phone and dialed, "Vince? Cam. Listen … need your help … on the down low … yeah … no totally off book … right, I owe you one." She gave him the address and hung up.

"Help is coming?" Brennan asked as she continued to inspect Ricky's broken bones.

"EMT. He's doing me a favor." She looked back at the kid. "So mind your manners, Ricky."

"Hey - I'm just lying here," he groaned.

Cam caught Brennan's eye. She nodded over to the dresser. On it was Booth's weapon and badge. He was going after Macky, man-to-man - well, man to scumbag. Brennan's swallowed hard.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

A several hours later, Booth returned to the apartment. He has a bruise on his cheek, a cut under his eye, his knuckles were bloody, and he was moving slowly. Brennan was waiting for him. She got up, directed him to the chair and went to get the hydrogen peroxide and ice. She silently attended to him. He was too ashamed to speak.

"So, you finally got a change to hit something, someone," she said as she worked on his knuckles.

The beating Macky took was not as bad as he gave, but he would think twice before beating up someone smaller than he was again. Of course Macky's two guys took the bigger beating. Booth had them down and cuffed before they knew what was going on, then he called the local police to pick them up - anonymously. Surely they were wanted for something and jail was not the place those guys wanted to be – between the guards and the inmates, they would be spending more than a couple nights in the infirmary.

"I'm sorry, Bones."

She sat back and looked at him. "You don't mean that."

"I'm sorry I upset you," he explained.

She went back to work on his cuts. "I'm not upset."

"Then what?" He closed his hand around hers.

"You left your badge and gun, Booth." She pulled her hand away from his. "Don't do that – what you did is not justice, it was retribution."

"I know, I know." He tried to catch her eye. "I'll need to go to confession for this one," he tried to joke.

"In order to confess your sins in the Catholic Church you must be contrite, penitent and have pure intent not to commit the sin again." She looked him directly in the eyes. "It does not appear to me that you are prepared to confess."

"When did you get so versed in the Catholic church?"

"Just because I reject your mythological, it does not mean I didn't study it. I knew of the Catholic dogma long before I met you. I don't reject anything offhand, Booth. I don't accept anything a face value either."

"I know." He closed his hand around hers. "I am sorry I upset you." She nodded. That was the most he was going to get as absolution from Brennan. "The whole week has just been pushing too many of the old buttons. I needed to do something." He took her hand back. "And before you say it, I realize that violence is not the answer."

"Sometimes it is, Booth, but it should be within the confines of the law. You went outside the law today." She pressed his hand back. "But you did it for a friend."

"How is he?"

"He's sleeping now. Cam called an EMT who did what he could. He will need some time to rehabilitate and a place to stay."

"I guess here is as good as any."

"You can't leave him here by himself."

"I'll get someone to stay with him."

Brennan smiled. "Adriana is available."

He grinned at her. "Where's CJ?"

"In Parker's room. Angela brought her by a couple of hours ago."

"So you fired Adriana? How did that go?"

"Pretty quickly. I found that I didn't have the time or inclination to tell her the real reasons she was being relieved of her duties."

"She wouldn't have heard it anyway."

"That is more than likely true." She stood up. "Are you hungry?"

He was still holding her hand. "I could eat."

"I have Chinese in the kitchen. Ricky needed something soft."

"Yeah, I'll bet." He pressed her hand again. "Thanks Bones."

"I really didn't do much. Cam was the one who called in a favor, so you owe her. Vince will be by in an hour or so to check on him."

She pulled her hand from his and went to the kitchen. Moments later she was back with a plate of food and a beer. She held chop sticks and a fork up. He looked at his hands and opted for the fork.

"I'm going home," she announced.

"What?"

"CJ needs to sleep in her own bed, and you are needed here."

"So you are mad at me."

"No, no I'm not."

Booth waited.

"Annoyed, maybe." Call me if you need anything. She went and gathered CJ and headed out.

Booth met her at the door. "I love you."

"Yeah ... we'll talk later."

"Bones?"

"I'm glad you're safe." She left.

Booth slumped against the door. Communication - might take a little more than some talk to fix this one.


	8. Chapter 8

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written During the March/April Hiatus 2011**

**Chapter Eight**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Billy got off the plane in Phoenix. It was hot. Damn hot. Too hot. One hundred twenty-two in the shade. It was too late in the day for it to be that hot. There was concern that they wouldn't let the plane land. He would have to diver to San Diego, Las Vegas or Albuquerque and drive home. He was in no condition for that.

He walked out into the afternoon sun after picking up his luggage and stepped into a 1991 Honda Civic that clearly had no A/C. He leaned over and kissed the woman driving.

"Hey babe, thanks for picking me up."

Nancy put the car in gear and drove out of Sky Harbor Airport.

Nancy Lafferty was in her early fifties, but had put on a lot of miles and looked much older. Her hair was dyed red – bright red. The nailpolish on her fake one-inch nails was bright pink and chipped. She was wearing a yellow and white halter top that did nothing for her sagging breasts and she was stuffed into hot-pants that should have been retired in the early seventies. All in all she was about thirty years and thirty pounds past the ensemble. Billy and Nancy had been lovers for going on ten years. She was his drinking buddy when Tara had to quit for health reasons. They had absolutely nothing in common other than drinking, smoking and screwing. They did watch the Lakers and the Diamondbacks when there was a game on in the bar. Nancy was the one who sent him to see Booth. She was always good coming up with plans.

"So? Anything on your end?" She asked blowing smoke out the window.

"You mean my boy, my FBI Wunderkind? Did he magically make Margaret appear - no. But he's on it. He'll find her. The sick old lady bit works on Seeley Booth."

"In time?"

"Yes, Nancy, in time." He leaned back against the hot vinyl seat. "Damn, babe. How 'bout a towel?"

She reached behind her and pulled a ragged towel out from behind her seat and tossed it at him. "Yeah well maybe when this windfall comes in you can buy me a new car."

"Bet your ass, sweet thing." He grabbed her sweaty thigh and squeezed it. "One in every color."

"She called you know."

"Who?"

"Margaret. She called and talked to Tara."

"When?

"Yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What difference could it make?"

"Nanc - you watch enough of those cop shows - they could trace the call."

"She called Danny too."

"Danny? That kid in the bar?"

"He's no kid - trust me." She licked her lips. "He told her that you were getting the FBI involved."

"Great - and who told him that."

She didn't look as shamed as she should have. "It might have come up in conversation."

"You're gonna blow this, Nancy. And so help me, I wouldn't want to be you if you do."

She blanched. "It hasn't before. Apparently they talk nearly once a month."

"That would have been useful information too."

Nancy knew it was best to change the subject at this point or suffer the wrath of Billy Booth. "Do you want to head up to Prescott now?"

"No, I need a drink. Let's at least wait until the sun goes down." He pulled his phone out.

"Who are you calling?"

"My boy Seeley - gonna give him this new information about my poor little lost lamb. When did you say she called? And what is Danny's last name."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth arrived home sometime after midnight. Ricky was decompensating pretty badly by time Vince showed up. He convinced Booth that Ricky had to go to the hospital or something like. Vince knew a clinic in Maryland that didn't ask too many questions. Booth followed Vince there and stayed until Ricky was stable again. Ricky would only be able to stay there for a couple of days to keep under the radar but by then he should be ready to move somewhere else for his final recovery or he would have to go to a real hospital. Booth didn't get a chance to talk to him about Maggie, but Angela called with some very interesting information. His father called too, with less interesting information, but he called it in anyway and started the trace.

He kept Brennan informed every step of the way but the conversations were short and to the point. That could mean one of two things: she was angry or she wasn't. Since he wasn't sure how 'annoyed' Brennan was with him he decided to not chance it and chose to sleep on the couch. He kicked off his shoes and tried to get comfortable. The couch was more fashion than function so that was going to be difficult. It was a pretty warm night, but Brennan had the A/C set a little lower than normal so she could sleep. She ran hot while she was sleeping, worse after the baby was born than before; it was a joke between them - he would miss feeling her literally hot body next to him. The afghan was not big enough for him so he struggled to find a good position. Just when he thought he found the right one - knees pulled up and hands stuck between them with afghan from his shoulder to his legs, leaving his feet cold - he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Brennan whispered.

"Trying to get comfortable," Booth groaned and shifted position again.

"Why don't you sleep in the bed?"

"I didn't know how pissed off you were with me."

"What does that have to do with you sleeping in the bed?"

"It's a thing Bones - been going on for centuries - the guy screws up and the woman banishes him to the couch until he apologizes. It's tradition. There's usually a lot of groveling, sometimes flowers or gifts depending upon the level of screw up. And then the inevitable make-up sex." He grinned. "That almost makes the fight worth it."

"Oh," she said still a little confused. "Why you didn't stay at your apartment?"

"Did you want me to?"

"You would be more comfortable in your own bed."

"Are you kicking me out?"

"No." She shook her head totally confused. "This whole thing is a little new to me - I have never been in a relationship like this - one with all these rules, customs and traditions - you're going to have to explain it to me."

He rolled over on his back and looked up at her. "See, now you're just screwing with me." She couldn't be serious.

"If that were the case, wouldn't we be in bed?"

"Bones!"

"Do you think you're doing this for me? That it's my desire to banish you to the couch?"

Booth shrugged a nod - naturally.

"That would be counter-productive. If I understand you correctly," she went on. "If there is to be 'make-up sex' we would need to be in the same room?"

"So we are skipping the apology, the groveling, the proffer of gifts?"

"What is it you did exactly that you think you need apologize for – apologize to me?"

He sat up and showed her the backs of his hands which were still red and swollen. "Taking the law into my own hands."

"That was stupid and reckless and could have been potentially detrimental to your health and your career." She frowned. "You could have been killed." She thought for a moment. "But why should I banish you to the couch for that?"

He shrugged. It was one of those things that if it needed explanation it wasn't worth it.

"It sounds like you are banishing yourself because you feel guilty. That has little to do with me." She waited for him to respond which he didn't. "If you feel that sleeping on couch is the penance you have to pay, that's entirely up to you." She turned to go back to bed.

"Bones," he called to her.

She snapped her attention back to him. "Booth, can I ask why you want a relationship with a woman - any woman - that has all these rules, customs and expectations. They don't seem to advance the intimacy. They seems like games to me with no real winners, just losers. I imagine it would get exhausting. I don't understand the expectation of dinner on the table and undivided attention as a gender based rule. I don't understand this resolution to a disagreement scenario that you have outlined. We have known each other for over eight years and we disagree on most topics. If we employ your rules, we would rarely sleep in the same bed. We should probably invest in a better couch. But if that is the case, why would we attempt to live in the same house at all? This doesn't make sense to me. I can think of no situation in which I would banish you anywhere - particularly to the couch with the issues you have with your back. That would be cruel and a punishment that doesn't fit the crime."

"I appreciate that." He sat up. "But I'm not sure you can make that promise. We have a lot of years ahead of us and as you pointed out this will not be the last time we have a disagreement."

"I am mindful or your expectation of fifty years and completely agree that we will disagree often. But I feel I can make that promise. If we get angry enough with each other that we choose not to sleep in the same bed, I expect that the person angriest will choose other accommodations. So using that rule, if you stay here, you are saying that you are angry with me."

"No matter how rational a woman it, I knew it could come back to being the guy's fault." He smiled.

"Of course it's your fault; I'm not involved at all."

"Unlike every other woman on the planet and you're all mine."

"Booth, you're an adult male. You have been making life and death decisions long before you ever knew me. I have done the same. Just because we have agreed to be together doesn't mean that either of us has lost the ability to make our own decisions nor does it mean that every decision that we make needs to be done by both of us in agreement. We are not one person. To except that we need to be of one mind about every individual action is unreasonable, irrational and implausible. Now, I understand why the divorce rate is so high in the United States."

He had no response as yet, but he was trying to think of something to say.

With no more discussion from him she decided it was time to go to bed. "OK, well ... good night." She turned again to leave. "I wouldn't sleep there if I was you, you won't be able to walk tomorrow."

Booth hopped up - it was more of a slow roll off the couch with a lot of groans, pops and stretches to get up right - and followed after her to the bedroom after they looked in on CJ. He slid into bed and waited until she turned off the light and then let her settle back against his chest. "There is only one problem with your rational approach to the male/female relationship," he whispered into her ear.

"What's that?"

"The make-up sex. If you don't get angry and I don't apologize, then I can't prove to you how sorry I really am. I really think we are missing something there."

"I'll keep that in mind if I get to a point where I feel that our love making is not satisfying enough."

He laughed. "And then you'll pick a fight so I can apologize."

"I'm not clear on the details."

They were silent for a moment but not quite asleep.

"There is a relationship custom that I'm not sure I want to give up," he whispered again.

"Oh?"

"I only bring it up because it was another one that was not observed today."

"You'll need to bear with me as I learn your rules. What custom are you referring to?"

"Typically when one member of the couple says 'I love you' the other responds with 'I love you too.' I know you will say that it's stating a known fact and therefore superfluous, but I really think we should abide by that one. It's just nice to hear once in a while."

"So essentially when you say _I love you_, you actually needing to hear it in return."

"If you want to put it like that. I wouldn't, but if you want to, OK."

She thought for a moment. "Ok, if that's your request, I can abide by that custom."

He pulled her close. "I love you."

"I love you too," she responded on cue. "Is that right?"

"You have to mean it, Bones?"

"I do. Do I have to prove it to you too?"

"No. Not, just saying it is nice. Maybe a kiss ... you know… just to bring it home?"

"I don't know that that means, but -." She gave a half roll and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I love you too. OK?" He nodded. "Good. I need to sleep," she announced. "Make-up sex will have to wait."

He smiled and settled in for a very comfortable night. She was unique in nearly every way - and that was a good thing.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

The next morning over coffee and toast, Booth told Brennan about what Angela had found.

"So this is all about money?" Brennan asked.

"Apparently. Tara, the grandmother, put everything in her daughter's name before she married my father - bright girl. When Shauna died it all went to Margaret - Maggie. But since she was a child her guardian's were holding it in trust for her until she turned twenty-two, which apparently is this year. Funny how she has been missing for three years and only now Dad comes to me looking for her."

"Why do you think he did, really?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was the Washington connection. Maybe he was just broke and figured that I would be cheaper than another detective." He leaned over to kiss her. "I may be easy but I'm not cheap," he tried to mask his hurt with a joke.

She kissed him back. "That has to be hurtful."

"Bones, in the grand scheme of things this is minor in the list of crap that I have I have endured because of that man. And I'm really trying to believe that I'm a better person for it."

"I like who you are," she said evenly. She wasn't trying to stroke him or sooth his wounded ego. She was just stating a fact."

"Thank you, Bones."

"I would prefer you not take the law into your own hands again," she stated flatly.

"So you are mad at me."

"No," she protested. "But I would hope that as a father, partner and lover, you wouldn't be that reckless. Parker and CJ need you, they rely on you. I have come to appreciate you in my life and would not want to lose that. It makes me uncomfortable and scared to think that could happen."

"Bones, I -."

"The job you do - the job we do - has risk inherent in it, to go seeking risk outside the job and without the benefit of the bureau or back up behind you, is not very smart."

"You are absolutely correct."

"Next time you should take me with you." She stated as if it were a reasonable alternative.

Booth couldn't agree with that option, but didn't want to debate her on it. "Message received; I will never to do that again."

She was beginning to see that words like _always_ and _never_ should not be used as they only referred to the intent at the time they are used rather than having a real impact on future actions. "So, Maggie?"

"Right ... well it's not just the house and the land that Maggie owns, which if Zillow and the financial records are to be believed are pretty much underwater at this moment. There is a trust fund. Maggie was bitten by a dog when she was a kid. There was a good sized settlement and the money was invested for her. It also becomes available to her when she turns twenty-two."

"How much is the trust?"

"Close to a million dollars." Booth smirked. "Apparently they had some good investment advisors and it didn't take too much of a hit when the bottom fell out."

"A million dollars?" Brennan was shocked. "You said you met her. She was a prostitute. Why is she selling herself, if she has a million dollars in the bank?"

"My guess is that she has no idea that the trust exists. I shouldn't say this because I don't know the man very well, but I would bet that Billy kept this from her and will somehow manipulate her into signing it over to him without knowing what she is doing."

"You won't let that happen," Brennan stated.

"No, I won't." A sly smile spread across his face. "In fact I think he will be very sorry that he got me involved at all."

"So how will you find Maggie?"

"I'm not sure. Need to check on Ricky this morning first." He finished his coffee. "What is on your agenda for the day?"

"I'm interviewing new nannies."

"Don't hire one without me."

"No, I won't. Angela will be helping me though. She says that she has something called psycho-dar. I'm not sure what that is or if it's even real or if she made it up, but she says she can weed out the candidates."

"Good … apparently we didn't pick the first one very well." He rinsed his cup out in the sink and put it in the dishwasher next to his plate and knife. "Gotta go." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'll call you later."

He was just about out the door. "Hey," Brennan called to him. "I love you."

He smiled, stepped back in, kissed her and not on the cheek. "I love you too," he said.

Brennan nodded. "I see your point – the kiss does … what did you say? _Bring it home_?"

"Well, bring it home today, sweet cheeks and I can teach you more about the good customs."

"I look forward to that – I love to learn."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Maggie stood outside a Seven-Eleven in Austin, Texas. She has a bruise under one eye, a fat lip and finger mark bruises on her right arm. There were some abrasions and lacerations on her legs and arms. She stood looking down at something in her hand. She struggled with her decision. It had taken her all day to find a working payphone and now she wasn't sure if she should make the call. A car backfired and that sent her dashing behind the back of the building. She dropped whatever it was and it went fluttering off into the weeds. When all was clear she came out looking for what she dropped. It took her a minute but she found it. She flipped the card over:

Seeley Joseph Booth

Special Agent In Charge

She picked up the phone and dialed. "Yes, Operator, I would like to make a collect call."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. The number you dialed is a cell phone."

"So?"

"You can't make a collect call to a cell phone."

"Fine, whatever … get me the FBI in Washington DC. I want to speak with Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"If this is an emergency ma'am, you should contact the local police."

"The FBI, Washington DC, Special Agent Seeley Booth." Maggie repeated.

"Hold the line, please."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**


	9. Chapter 9

**One Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written During the March/April Hiatus 2011**

**Chapter Nine**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth's morning went from good to bad to worse to are-you-freaking-kidding-me-right-now? He was happy when he left Brennan. He was enjoying domestic bliss – well as much bliss as he could have with hyper-rational Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan. Her hyper-rationality was actually working in his favor. He never had the domestic side of a relationship before in his life. He had lived with women temporarily but it always felt like it was just a weekend that never ended. Most didn't make it more than a month – and it was the women that didn't make it. Then there was Hannah. In the beginning it was good – better than most – and he really did think he wanted to share her life, but almost immediately it all went to shit. In the end there was little more than ugly bitterness. The mutual apology and well wishes the day CJ was born was good and set him on a better path with Brennan.

If he had a complaint at all so far in his life with Brennan, it was that Brennan really didn't see the need for a wedding/marriage/legalese; and he wanted her to want it as much as he did. There was not much he could do about that. And maybe he would like a house, not just an apartment or at least some place that felt like theirs and not just hers. Soon they would have to childproof the apartment and all her knick-knacks would get stored. He had some romantic notion about working in the yard on the weekends, arguing about the Honey-Do list and seeing his kids grow up in the backyard. It certainly wasn't reflective of his childhood, nor Brennan's, but it was an idea. Frankly he just wanted a little more room. On the other hand, with his job the way it was, he would have no time for gardening or whatever was on the Honey-Do list. The security in her building was very comforting and having a super on property was also very helpful. But basically he was a pretty happy man and he had a date for a run through of make-up sex for that night - at least he hoped it was a date.

When he got to the clinic in Maryland, Ricky was gone – from good to bad. The doctor on staff had nothing really to say as it was a free clinic, people could come and go. Booth got information about when he left and what his condition was at the time. The good news was that he was ambulatory, the bad news was the he was on some pretty heavy pain meds and when those wore off Ricky would be in a world of hurt. Booth couldn't put out a BOLO for him because he didn't want to spook the kid. He would have to just take time looking for him through non-official channels. Booth had to hope that he would find him alive. He did send a request to find Mackey.

He got to the office late, very late. Hacker was looking for him – the worse of his morning. Booth had his cell ring off. He had taken to doing that when he came home at night so it wouldn't wake CJ. He'd forgotten to turn it back on when he left the apartment. Hacker was not pleased. Hacker was unimpressed with Booth for a number of reasons from him going to Afghanistan, to returning as a hero with the pretty blonde reporter in tow. Booth knew that Hacker was really hoping to hook up with Brennan more so after her returned. She always rejected him but it was the most severe after Booth proposed to Hannah. Somehow that rejection was Booth's fault too. Hacker knew guys like Booth his whole life. The guys with looks and moves and the ones that shit all over the girls and they still got them. Why is it that women like the creeps? Hacker was done being passive in his disdain for Booth and it was affecting their working relationship. Booth of course would not report him but it was getting really tedious having his ass chewed for no reason and knowing that that man held his career in the balance. Hacker couldn't do anything as long as Booth did his job, so there was really nothing to worry about, but it was still tedious.

By time Booth made it to his desk he had sixteen voice-mails: two from Ricky telling him he was fine and to stop looking for him – he sounded like shit, two from Hacker, one from Brennan, and several others from miscellaneous people looking for something from him that he hadn't gotten to yet. This was not the week to be doing something off book.

One phone call was from Maggie; she was calling collect and he missed it. WORSER STILL.

"Charlie – why didn't you get a hold of me?" Booth barked.

"Need to answer your cell there, Booth," Charlie answered a little too casually.

"Trace it!"

"Right away."

Then Sweets walked in and the change in his day was complete.

"Are you freaking kidding me right now, Sweets?

"I'm pulling rank, Agent." Sweets said proudly. "Look at you. You have clearly been in a physical fight, you were out of the office all day yesterday and I know for a fact that you are not working on a case. You have been unavailable all morning and I understand Hacker was looking for you."

"That was nothing, I just left his office."

"Regardless. Not to mention that you have just gotten back to work this week after six weeks leave, you have a brand new relationship and a brand new baby, to work into your schedule. And then your father -."

"Oh brother, here we go."

"Your father," Sweets continued. "Who has been absent from your life for decades just reemerged. You must have issues surrounding that. Absenteeism, fighting, insubordination-."

"Who was I insubordinate too?"

"You clearly have something going on that needs attention."

"Yes Sweets, I do." He stood tall and firm. "None of it you can help me with, but when you can, you will be the first to know." He tried to usher him out.

"Not good enough, Agent Booth."

"Sweets I really don't have time for your psychobabble-mumbo-jumbo right now."

Sweets looked hurt and rejected but still standing firm on his rank.

"My father needed help looking for his granddaughter – no relation to me – that's it. No big deal. He's back home in Arizona and I will see what I can do to find her off the record and on my own time. Bones and I are great – better than great – you would be really proud of us. We are communicating – verbally. CJ is a joy. As for my recent physical altercation - it was nothing. A couple of guys roughhousing and it got a little too rough." He grinned. "Boys will be boys, you know?"

"No, I don't know Agent. You will need to explain it to me."

Charlie stepped in ignoring Sweets. "It was a pay phone outside a Seven-Eleven in Austin, Texas."

Booth pulled a picture from his pocket. "Send that to the field unit in San Antonio. See if they have someone they can send up to Austin to do a canvas. Tell them that I'm looking for her, but not to spook her. They are to detain her only."

"Ok." Charlie stepped out.

"Agent Booth, you aren't going anywhere."

"Look, Sweets, I appreciate your concern, but it's misguided at best this time around. Look, as soon as I get this thing sorted out you can ask me any question you want about my father. How old I was when I stopped wetting the bed; how long I sucked my thumb, anything. Open book."

"When did you stop wetting the bed?"

"I never did."

"Stop?"

"Wet the bed, Sweets. It was a joke." He tried to usher the young man out of his office. "You know like the old investigator loaded question: when did you stop beating your wife?"

"Agent Booth, you come from a violent background, if you are having thoughts about Dr. Brennan -."

"OK!" Booth yelled. "That's it. Enough. What is it going to take to get you to leave me alone?"

"Fifty minutes in my office ... maybe on a regular basis."

"Fine. Lead on Mac Duff." Booth followed Sweets out. "Charlie, if I don't answer my cell - find me."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"What was wrong with her?" Brennan asked as the third candidate Angela excused left the room.

"She's a flake."

"How can you tell?"

"Did you look at her application? She hasn't held a job for more than six months in the past five years.

"Until you meet me, neither did you."

"You may have a point there, but I wasn't looking to take care of a kid."

"Angela, I need help."

"Don't worry Sweetie, we will find you someone."

"I need some coffee," Brennan stated.

"Got to be careful with that, Sweetie. The caffeine is not good for the baby."

"I think one cup will be OK."

"Ok, but be back in twenty, our next candidate will be here."

Brennan walked out wondering if asking for Angela's help was a mistake.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Maggie Carroll exited the restroom at the train station in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The bruise under her eye had gotten a deeper shade of purple and her lip was still swollen. She looked worse for the eighteen hours it took her to get from Austin to New Mexico - trains, buses and automobiles were all used. She cautiously looked around before stepping out in the main terminal. She knew she wasn't followed, but it was a good idea to be cautious. She slapped on some oversized glasses and a hat and made her way out into the hot July afternoon. She was out of money, so there was work to be done before she found a place to sleep for the night. Not the first time Maggie found herself in that predicament. She also needed to find a phone - needed to make another collect call, maybe this time it would pan out.

She didn't know why, but she felt she could trust Special Agent Seeley Booth. Maybe it was because he had no idea who she was the first time they met and he was a gentleman throughout the encounter. Maybe it was because he offered to help her without knowing who she was. Maybe it was because he had helped her believing she was just a street whore. Maybe it was because Danny had told her that Billy had contacted Booth but that there was no love lost between them. Nancy was a great resource in spite of herself. The problem was that she was flat broke and she needed to get to see her grandmother before she died, but she didn't want to deal with Billy. She knew what he wanted. It was the same thing he had wanted from her since she turned eighteen. He wanted her to sign the house and land over to him. He deserved it after all those years of hard work keeping the place standing. Maggie didn't care. He could have the house, but she wasn't about to make it easy for him.

She had a lot of anger directed at her grandmother too. Tara Carroll Booth was a simple old lady that drank her way through life. She was weak, ignorant and lazy. Maggie's great grandparents - whom she never met - had left a large plot of land and a house to Tara and her infant daughter. Tara was barely able to make the payments on it. Tara never had a profession - she did bookkeeping, waited tables, tended bar, did nails and babysat. She went from job to job to odd job, usually getting fired when her drinking got in the way. It wasn't easy to find jobs after a while; Prescott wasn't a large city and Tara had a reputation. Then Billy Booth came onto the scene. They had one thing in common - drinking. Of course Maggie wasn't born during Billy and Tara's heyday. After Shauna, Maggie's mom, died Tara pretty much sunk into the bottle. Billy was able to keep the lights on, a bit of food on the table and of course the alcohol coming in. He was a barber and most people didn't care about his drinking as long as he didn't screw up the hair cut.

As parents or guardians, Billy and Tara were neglectful at best. When Maggie was six she nearly burned the house down trying to cook her own breakfast. When she was nine she was told to drive the car into town to buy food, cigarettes and booze. She made it as far as the first stop sign. She couldn't stop in time and was broadsided by another car. Neither car was totaled and no one needed to go to the hospital so the police weren't involved. There were a ton of stories like that. There was one about Maggie being four years old, it was just after her mother died, and she was a neighbor's house. They raised pit bulls. The story goes that Maggie opened the pen between two male dogs and was caught in the middle. Maggie apparently blocked the memory, if it were true at all, but she did have some pretty big scars on her legs, back and arms that looked like they were from bites.

As Maggie grew up she was often passed off between neighbors and friends. She spent a lot of time with the Yaccarinos. Their son Daniel was her age. The Yaccarinos were salt of the earth type people who worked hard for what little they got. Maggie was always welcome in their home. They owned an Italian restaurant in downtown Prescott, so Maggie never went without food. She worked for it and learned a bit about the front and the back of the house from them. She had planned to go to work for them when she graduated high school, but drama going on at home made her want to leave town and get a fresh start. It was Mrs. Yaccarino who told her that family is who you love and home is where you sleep. It was a motto that Maggie lived by. Of course she hadn't found too many people to love in her life, and she never sleep without one eye opened, so home was pretty elusive too.

She ducked out of the hot afternoon sun into the mall to find a payphone.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"Sweets, come on. We have been sitting in here for sixty minutes going round and round. What is it that you can't accept? The Bones and I are together and happy? Or that I can deal with my father showing up in my life unannounced after 30 years?"

"I am only thinking of your well being, Booth."

"You keep saying that, but you are the one who keeps focusing on stuff that I have dealt with and moved on."

"Have you?"

"Yes."

"Then we should be able to talk about this dispassionately."

Charlie burst into the office unannounced. "Maggie Carroll," he said. "Here." He thrust the phone at Booth.

"Booth!" he barked.

_I understand you were looking for me_, Maggie drawled in a thick southern accent. _If I'd known how incredibly hot you were I'd have called sooner_.

"I'm glad you did. Where are you?"

_Albuquerque ... it's hot here._

"I'm sure it is."

_Look doll, I would love to catch up, maybe grab a sandwich, but I need your help and apparently you were looking for me - I think we can be good together. After all we are family - sort of. _

"So you know."

_I always did know, handsome. Look I need to get to see my grandmother. Think you can flip me a few - I'll hit you back. I'm good for it._

"Yes, yes you are ... but you don't know the whole story and before you walk back into the place, you need to be given a few facts."

_Time is money, stud. My time is your money ... so what have you got?_

"I would rather do this in person, where are you staying?"

_Staying? The Ritz, where do you think?_

"Fine, I'll wire you some money, and you find a room. I'll be there tonight."

_You flying all this way to see me?_

"You're family," he said.

_Of a sort._

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Brennan and Angela sent the next two candidates away with a 'don't call us, we'll call you.' Brennan was the nay-sayer this time. They each had work to do so the next round wouldn't come until late that afternoon. Booth had called and told her he was leaving for Albuquerque. It was the first night they would be spending apart since early May. Brennan was a little surprised that she felt so ungrounded knowing that he was out of town. They still hadn't gotten into a working rhythm. They really weren't partners anymore. Clark Edison was the GO TO anthropologist at the lab and Brennan was just the consulting expert - read EXTRA. There were a couple other FBI liaisons working with the Jeffersonian too. Even when Booth was back full time, he wouldn't take her into the field any more. Her first instinct was to go with him when he told her about Maggie's call. Of course she couldn't fly off at a moment's notice anymore. She had a baby to think of. Maybe when CJ was older Brennan could take her on digs. It was what she had planned to do before Booth reentered the picture. Brennan wanted to give her child a well rounded education, but she certainly couldn't take her on field investigations with Booth. For the first time since Brennan started thinking about having a child, she felt trapped. Even more trapped that they didn't have a nanny. She couldn't leave the room without ensuring that CJ was being attended to.

"Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan looked up from her laptop. A security guard whose name escaped her as he was so new was standing in her doorway. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted to double check with you that Adriana Flores was not permitted back in the lab."

"No, she is not." Brennan stood up. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason Ma'am. Dr. Brennan. I was just verifying - we had a note on the roster for today and there was some confusion as to why.

"Adriana has been fired. She no longer works for me; therefore she has no business being on the premises."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

The guard walked away convinced that he didn't need to tell Brennan that Adriana Flores had attempted to get into the lab. She was turned away. The system was working. There was no reason to alert anyone. He had done his job.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**


	10. Chapter 10

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written April 2011 - Post Hiatus 2011**

**A/N: **I'm sorry that this chapter was so long in coming and a little thin - lots of movement though; I had every intention of finishing this before 4/7/11. Sadly real life sucker punched me in the gut this past week plus so time and motivation were forced out of me. I will finish this story in short order, please bear with me.

**Chapter Ten**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Sweets walked into the lab and directly to Brennan's office. He found her there with Angela and a young woman who looked nervous. "Dr. Brennan," he said. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I was looking for Agent Booth."

Brennan smiled at the young woman and made her excuse. She walked out of her office with Sweets in tow. "You know he is not here, you came looking for me."

"You certainly have come a long way Dr. Brennan in your observations of individual human behavior."

"Dr. Sweets in all the years I have known you, for all the good information you have given in the course of an investigation, my relationship with Booth has continued to be a fascination for you. Frankly, I expected you here on Monday."

"I'm only concerned for his welfare - personally as well as professionally."

Brennan noticed that there were three other girls waiting in the lounge to be interviewed. "Maybe we can help each other," she offered.

"How?"

"I'm looking for a Nanny."

"What happened to your last one?"

"She had to be terminated."

"May I ask why?"

"She had a fascination with Booth that was not conducive to good working conditions."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

She didn't care to, but she did.

"So she challenged you and you fired her."

"She was inappropriately focused on my relationship with Booth and Booth himself. You know how detrimental stalkers can be, Dr. Sweets."

"So now you think she is stalking you?"

"Why do assume I was wrong to fire her? You have never met her, and have known me and Booth for years. Is it so hard to imagine that the correct decision was made to let her go?"

"No. However, you do not get flustered, Dr. Brennan. This woman clearly got under your skin, pushed some buttons if you will, I think you might want to talk about that."

"I have," she stated proudly.

"With whom?"

"With Booth." She dared him to brook an argument. "Booth and I are communicating very well. Speaking our mind and checking the expectations we have for this relationship."

"I applaud your progress." He smiled but didn't believe her. "How can I help you with the nanny?"

"There are three women up there waiting to be interviewed. I would like your assessment of them."

"Just three?"

"Angela has excused the rest of them."

"I would be happy to offer my assessment, and am honored that you would ask me."

"It is really not that much of an honor," Brennan corrected. "Angela has to get back to work, and it is time for me to feed CJ."

"Right, right ... well ... in return maybe you could help me with Agent Booth."

"You know I will not discuss him with you."

"I want to help, Dr. Brennan."

She nodded and walked away, but had no intention of talking to him about Booth.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth was running late after stopping at home to collect some things for the trip. He was rushing out to the taxi when he was grabbed from behind and thrown up against the car.

"When were you going to tell me?"

Booth dropped into defensive mode immediately not letting the words or the voice register. He spun around and had his assailant in the chock hold and was pulling his weapon.

"Hey, Big Brother ... When were you going to tell me that Dad came to see you?"

"Jared! Damn it! I could have killed you." Booth released him. "I wasn't."

"You weren't going to tell me." He pushed Booth back.

"No." Booth motioned to the driver to wait. The driver complied by turning on the meter.

"Why not? I don't need your protection any more, Seeley."

Booth thought about debating but changed his mind. "The man is scum."

"The man is my father; I have a right to know if he comes back."

"You could have found him at any point in your life, Jared. You had access to all kinds of information when you were in the Navy. You could have asked me. Hell, you could have Googled him, it's not like he was that hard to find."

"You knew where he was?"

"Yes ... for years."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask." Booth tossed his bag into the back seat. "Look I have a plane to catch. Either drive me to the airport or ride with me in the taxi."

Jared was on his bike so talking would be limited. He nodded for Booth to get into the cab and Jared climbed in after.

A woman stepped out of the shadows watching after the cab. Keys dangled from her finger tips. She quickly let herself inside the building being sure not to show her face to the camera in the lobby or in the elevator.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth caught him up on everything he knew on the ride to Dulles leaving out some salient points.

"I'm going with you," Jared announced.

"Why? What possible reason do you have to go to Albuquerque? Dad isn't there."

"I want to meet this Maggie person. I want to hear first hand from her."

"Fine, whatever ... go see if you can get a ticket."

"I need some money."

Booth shook his head. Jared was sober and in a relationship, but he had yet to find a steady job. He had blown all his savings from his time in the service. As much as he protested, he still needed taking care of.

There was one ticket left and the agent was nice enough to move some people around so that the Brothers Booth could sit next to each other. Booth would have opted for solitude on the trip.

"So how's my niece and when are you going to make her mother an honest woman?"

"CJ is great, you would know that if you returned any one of the invitations that have been extended and Bones is good."

"You going to marry that woman, Brother?"

Booth nodded slowly. "She has agreed to marry me."

"Sounds like she is agreeing to have a root canal."

"She'd prefer a root canal."

"Hey, she could do worse than you..." Jared grinned. "If she dug a little."

"Thanks a lot, but it's not a matter of me over someone else. She just doesn't believe in marriage as an institution."

"Well, Tempe never was one for convention."

"What about you and Padme? When are you going to start cranking out the cousins?"

Jared's face washed with pain. "Padme can't have children." Now it made sense why Jared and Padme had only been over to visit once since CJ was born. "We are looking to adopt, but it's not as easy as they make it sound. I suppose if I had a job it would be easier."

"What are you doing about that?"

"I was going to open a bar."

"What?"

"A coffee bar ... you know like a Starbucks, but I need a little more action in my life."

Booth still felt guilty that Jared lost his career for him. "I'm sorry, man," he said for the umpteenth time.

"I'd do it all again, brother. Not even a second thought - maybe I would do it faster." He leaned his seat back. "I got skills, someone will want them."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"I would go with Lana Stevens," Sweets said. "I realize she lacks experience, but she possesses the necessary -."

"Fine," Brennan said. She got up and went to the lounge.

Sweets watched as she unceremoniously dismissed the other two and sat down with Lana to discuss her expectations.

Angela walked by Sweets. "You better be right," she warned.

"What happed to the last nanny?" he asked.

"She had a thing for Booth and thought Brennan wasn't treating him well enough. She was pretty vocal about her opinions too."

"What did Booth do?"

"Nothing ... nothing useful anyway."

"And Brennan fired her?"

"What would you do?"

"That's unimportant. How did Dr. Brennan react when she was accused of not being an appropriate mate for Booth?"

"She fired the nanny, Sweets." Angela strode away.

"Why do I not think that is the end of it?"

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Maggie paced in her room at the Motel 6. It would be hours before Booth got there. She spoke with Danny for a minute and he said he would call back. That was more than an hour ago. Finally the phone rang. Maggie lunged for it. Danny told her that Billy Booth was back in Arizona though he had not seen him yet. He told her that her grandmother had been moved to hospice and that Nancy had moved into the house.

"I can come get you," Danny offered.

"I'll be there in a day or two," she said. "You need to work."

"Are you going to sign over the house this time?"

"Sure, why not ... that bastard can have whatever he wants. It ain't worth shit anyway."

"What did you tell the FBI son about Billy?"

"Nothing ... he doesn't need to know. And you should shut up about it too, OK?"

"Someone needs to put him in his place."

"He didn't do anything wrong ... he just didn't do anything right. Gram was there too, ya know."

"Yeah, I know." He paused. "What about that guy from Austin ... he ain't gong to give up that easily."

"He doesn't know where I'm going."

"You can't walk away that easily."

"Whatever man ... he had it coming."

They were silent for a minute. "So when does Uncle G-Man show up?"

"Couple hours."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Brennan rushed up from the bone room in a panic. All she got was that it had something to do with Lana and CJ.

"What's going on?" Brennan demanded when she was held up a security.

"Dr. Brennan," Sweets called over to her. He had asked to be the one to tell her.

"Dr. Sweets, what's going on? Where's CJ?" Angela, Cam and Hodgins were now there backing Brennan up.

"She's been taken," he said quickly.

"Taken? By who? What happened?" Brennan's standard resolve was cracking open.

"It seems that Lana was walking CJ in the garden when a woman approached her claiming that she was Booth's sister."

"Booth doesn't have a sister."

"Lana didn't know that."

"She gave CJ to this woman?"

"No," Sweets said. "The woman knocked Lana unconscious and took CJ."

Brennan was stunned.

"The woman appears to be Adriana Flores, your former nanny."


	11. Chapter 11

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written April 2011**

**Chapter Eleven**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"The woman appears to be Adriana Flores, your former nanny," Sweets with more anxiety in his voice then he had wanted to betray.

There was a high audible gasp from behind Brennan. It should have been Angela or Cam, but it was Hodgins.

People started talking quickly demanding to know what was being done. Brennan stood rigid and silent listening to them and keeping her eyes on Sweets. Sweets reported that the FBI had of course been notified. Agent Perotta was on her way. They had sent agents to Adriana's home and others were pulling up all they could about her. Another was on the way to the agency that employed Adriana. There of course was a BOLO out for her and the security team at the Jeffersonian was pulling all the video footage. It would also be sent to Angela immediately. It was pretty impressive all that had been mobilized in less than twenty minutes it had been since finding Lana unconscious. There was some discrepancy as to when she left the building for the walk. Security was working on that. Brennan had been in the bone room for over an hour it could have been closer to two. Essentially there was no good estimate of how long ago Adriana left with CJ but there was a window – a relatively small window, but each minute that passed Adriana got further away.

Lana Stevens had been taken to the hospital but would be available for questioning as soon as an agent got there. The FBI typically handled kidnappings, they took each one of them seriously and worked hard to get them resolved with the best possible outcome, but this was one of their own. This was Caroline Julian Brennan Booth - this baby girl was family to everyone at the Hoover Building. Sweets was tasked with talking to Brennan and eventually Booth about what Adrianna's motivation was.

"Dr. Brennan?" Sweets asked as she hadn't moved or changed expression during the entire exchange. "We have not been able to raise Agent Booth."

"He lands in half an hour," she stated without looking at her watch.

"We can have people meet him at the gate, or contact the pilot."

Brennan's eyes grew dark and stormy. "You would tell Booth that his daughter is kidnapped when he is thirty thousand feet in the air with no way out?"

"I suspect Booth would want this information as soon as possible," Sweets pressed. "You're not thinking of concealing it from him, are you?"

Brennan bit back her anger. "Why are you still here, Dr. Sweets?"

"I was waiting for Daisy," he answered the first thing that came to his mind. He had actually wanted to observe Brennan with Lana and the baby.

Brennan didn't want challenge him. "I suggest that we use the next thirty minutes to get him real information and find the fastest way back to DC." She took a deep breath. "The first twenty-four hours is critical," she parroted the number of times Booth has said that to her; for the first time she understood it.

Agent Perotta walked in and saw them standing in front of the platform. Perotta had changed a lot in the past few years. She understood Brennan more and actually liked her - not as a friend, but as a professional. She respected her ability to keep focused on the work when what she was working on was heart wrenching. They had worked more than a couple of child murder cases. Perotta found herself relying on Brennan to keep her grounded and working. Perotta wasn't sure what she would find when the tragedy struck so close to home. Even the most stoic, reasoned, rational person would have to crumble under the weight of the kidnapping of her own child.

"Dr. Brennan?"she asked gently.

"Thank you for helping, Agent Perotta," Brennan said her voice straining to stay calm. Angela had stepped up to her to take her hand. Brennan turned to her pulling her hand away. She could not satnd to be touched; she didn't want to be comforted. She didn't trust herself. She needed to stay strong and focused. "Angela, could look at the security footage to see what you can find?" Her voice was still even but strained.

"Of course, Sweetie." She thought about touching Brennan's shoulder but decided against it. She looked Hodgins and issued him an order to stay with Brennan and to get her when Brennan broke. Hodgins understood completely.

"I'll find Booth a way home," Hodgins said. "Got to be a private jet in Albuquerque that I can hire." He stepped back and pulled out his phone but didn't get more than a few feet from Brennan and never took his eyes off of her.

"I will go check on Lana," Cam offered. "See what else she can tell us."

Brennan nodded her thank you.

It was clear to Perotta that Sweets was not the man to get information from Brennan for whatever reason. She didn't have time to worry about Sweets' feelings. "Dr. Brennan," Agent Perotta said gently. "I'm going to have to ask you some questions – difficult questions." Brennan nodded again. Perotta exchanged a look with Sweets. Both of them wanted to move the conversation to some place less out in the open, but Brennan was immobile. "Maybe we can go to your office?"

Brennan nodded again but did not move. Hodgins snapped his phone shut. "There's a jet standing by, Dr. B," he said. Brennan still did not move. Her focus had blurred and she was looking at nothing. "Hey, Tempe," Hodgins asked gently. "Why don't we go to my office, OK?" He knew that Brennan's office would be littered with CJ's things. He touched her elbow.

Brennan snapped out of her trance and pulled her arm away roughly. "Thank you, Jack," she said referring to the transportation. "Please get me the information so I can forward it to Booth." She looked back at Perotta and Sweets. "We have twenty minutes before I have to call Booth. Ask what you need to ask."

"Right here?"

"Here is fine," she stated.

"I really think you should sit down, Dr. Brennan," Sweets commented.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, Dr. Sweets." She wanted to blast him for his challenging her on her firing Adriana particularly in light of what had happened. "The last time I asked for your opinion ..." She let it trail off. This was not Sweets' fault - probably the only thing that was not his fault. "Fine, let's go to my office." Hodgins followed after Sweets and Perotta with Brennan in the lead.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Ricky was sound asleep in Booth's apartment. He decided to take Booth up on the offer to use his place to lay low for a while as Ricky healed. He didn't bother to tell Booth; figured he wouldn't mind. Actually Ricky didn't care if he did. Noise from the other room woke him up late in the early evening. The drugs were still doing their thing so he wasn't sure but he thought he heard a baby crying. He struggled to his feet and made it to the door and cracked it open just a little. It was a baby crying and a woman talking – apparently to herself as none one was answering. Ricky closed the door again and tried to decide what to do. He had no idea who that bitch with the baby was, but he wasn't going to stick around and find out. Booth and his lost puppies - he probably gave a key to everyone he knew.

He gathered his stuff and climbed out the window using every bit of strength he had left. He slid down the fire escape and ducked into the alley. It was hotter than hell in the streets of Washington – not that Booth's place was much cooler. Ricky promised himself that if he survived, he was going to find summer digs.

He pulled out his phone and dialed. "Hey, can I crash at your place? … Fell through … who the fuck knows, bra … it was overbooked at the Hilton, what do you care? … Great, thanks. ... Don't suppose you could pick me up or spot me a cab ... right."

Ricky checked his messages. Two from Booth and a few other he didn't want to hear from. He decided to returns Booth's call. Of course it went straight to voice mail.

"Booth, man … What gives? … Subletting out your place to families now? … Or did you think that a baby screaming night and day would help with the healing. … Thanks anyway, G-man. Later. You still owe me." What Booth owed him for was unclear. Booth had never gotten around to asking him what he wanted and he had gone pretty far out of his way to help the kid, but that was just the way Booth and Ricky rolled.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Perotta and Sweets were sitting in Brennan's guest chairs asking pointed questions. Brennan was giving short and precise answers. To anyone who looked at her she was stiff and controlled, but anyone who really knew her would know that she was not herself. Sweets noticed that her hands shook. Her eyes did not stay focused on one object or person. That she seemed acutely aware of every sound or person walking by her office. Sweets really wished Angela were there but knew that Brennan would prefer her working on finding out information.

-**Is there any reason to think that Adriana might hurt CJ?** _No. Her caretaking skills were exemplary._

-**Could this be a kidnapping for ransom?** _Not likely, but it's possible. She seemed interested with my writing and work here at the Jeffersonian. She commented on the expensive furnishings I have in my apartment and observed that they were inappropriate for a baby or young child._

-**Did Adriana give any indication where she might go? Family? Friends?** _She spoke of no one in her life, but our conversation did not tend toward the personal, at least not her personal._

-**Could she speculate on Adriana's motivation to take CJ?** _Adriana was fired for commenting on subjects that were not her concern. This could be retaliation._

-**What subjects? **_Adriana was overly interested in my relationship with Booth and with Booth himself. She commented several times that she felt that I was not an appropriate mate for him._

**-What was Booth's relationship like with Adriana? **_From what I observed, he had little interaction with her other than normal greetings and cursory questions about CJ. The longest interaction he had with her was during the interview when he asked several pointed questions._

__**-Where is Agent Booth as he is not away on FBI business? **_Booth has gone to Albuquerque on a family matter of some urgency. If you are suggesting that Booth was part of this abduction ..._

Of course Perotta didn't think Booth was a part of it, but she had to ask. She excused herself to check in with the FBI to see if there was any status change. Sweets stayed with Brennan. She got up and paced. Sweets tried to engage her.

"Dr. Sweets, I understand that I fascinate you, that my relationship with Booth fascinates you, but this is not the time to study me. Your words of condolence mean little. So if you don't mind, I would like you to leave me alone."

"Of course." Sweets slunk away like a whipped puppy.

"I suspect that your psychology will be needed to find Adriana and would appreciate anything you could to effect the safe return of my daughter."

That was a huge victory for Sweets, but it felt more like a slap in the face than a pat on the back. He nodded and left.

Hodgins stood in the doorway. "TSA in Albuquerque is standing by to meet Booth as the gate, they have been instructed to get you on the phone and say nothing to Booth."

"Thank you, Jack." Brennan moved toward CJ's crib. "She will be hungry," she said softly.

"We will find her," he said with sureness in his voice that Brennan felt to be true. Her mind would not accept that as a foregone conclusion.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth and Jared walked down the jetway still talking – they hadn't stopped since they took off. It was actually a good flight. They talked about a lot of stuff that they never would have: stuff about their dad naturally, but also about their mom, the women in their lives, their careers or lack thereof, kids or lack thereof. Eventually Booth said he was proud of Jared and Jared returned the sentiment. Booth was surprised by that though Jared didn't understand why. He had always been proud of his big brother even when they didn't get along.

Booth had booted up his phone when they landed to check his messages: one from his dry cleaners, once from his eye doctor, a couple from Maggie and a strange one from Ricky. Booth really didn't pay attention to any of them. None from Brennan which surprised him but he would call from the car. She was still not one of those women who liked to leave messages for their mates. She was very practical. If questioned, she would ask, "Why would I call you if there were no possibility that you could answer the phone?"

The Brothers Booth were met at the gate by two TSA agents. Jared was more unnerved than his brother. Booth figured that the FBI field office from Albuquerque had asked them to expedite the deplaning and exiting the airport. Jared's identification was checked twice and Booth had to assure the TSA agents that Jared was with him. They were lead into a small room typically used for personal searches.

"Hey, Seeley … if I get an anal probe out of this, you and me are gonna have words."

"Yeah, Yeah." Booth checked the service on his phone. No bars. He checked his watch several times annoyed that he was being detained.

A TSA Agent came in with a phone – a land line. "There is a call for you Agent Booth. The Jeffersonian. A Dr. Brennan."

Booth's heart leap into his through and sirens were going off in his head. He stole a glance at Jared who also looked a little alarmed. Booth took the phone from the agent warily.

"Booth," he said evenly into the phone. "Bones?"

"Yes … we have a situation here and you need to get back to Washington as quickly as possible." She was speaking quickly and was trying to avoid saying the words she knew she would have to say. "Jack has arranged a private jet to fly you back. You should be here in just over three hours."

"What's going on?"

"Everything that can be done is being done, but you need to come home." Sweets was standing outside her office with Perotta. Both were ready to take the phone from her. "I need you, Booth." Her voice cracked. It took every ounce of strength she had to stay standing and focused.

"Bones, what's going on?" He was beginning to get really panicked.

Brennan took a deep breath. "Adriana has taken CJ." The strength in Brennan's legs went out and she slumped into her chair. The tears she had been holding back dripped from her eyes, but she did not sob.

Booth felt the air leave his body, he felt his mind lock on her words and he sat down. "How long?"

"Less than two hours."

"Who's working it?"

"Perotta - and everyone else."

"Leads?"

"Nothing tangible."

"I'll call you from the plane."

"Thank you."

Booth almost hung up. "Bones?"

She couldn't respond.

"We'll find her. She'll be OK."

"You don't know that." Her voice betrayed every doubt she had. There was nothing Booth could say or do to help her; he was barely keeping it together himself.

"I'll call you from the plane."

Brennan was the first to hang up. Perotta stepped into the room. "We have a make and model of the car she is driving. She emptied her bank accounts so we have a hold at the bus, train and airport for anyone fitting her description. We sent and agent to your house and your neighbor said she saw Adriana entering your building earlier this afternoon. We are pulling security and traffic footage around there and the Jeffersonian. There is a pretty big net over this city, Dr. Brennan. All eyes are working this, she will be found."

"Thank you, Agent Perotta." She turned toward her. "Booth is headed toward the plane, he will call when they when they are in the air."

"I hope we will have more news at that time."

"As do I." Brennan hadn't realized it but she was clutching one of CJ's stuffed animals to her stomach. It was a blue rabbit with big floppy ears. Brennan tolerated it because it was a gift from Angela who claimed it was her responsibility to teach the child whimsy. What a blue rabbit had to do with whimsy was beyond Brennan's understand. All that was important at the moment was that it was CJ's favorite. She would be very unhappy without it.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth ran on to the plane. Jared stayed behind at Booth's urging. He was going to contact Maggie on his own. Booth said he would call and tell her that Jared was coming, but the moment he said it the thought left his mind. Booth did call back and talked to Brennan briefly but dropped into Agent mode when he was talking to Perotta. Everything he thought of had already been thought of and was being followed up on. It was discovered that many of CJ's things were taken from the apartment as were Booth's. That was a bit confusing.

Booth paced on the plane as if walking would somehow help the plane go faster. It wasn't his first time on a private jet, but the amenities were lost on him - except of course the air phone. He called Brennan several times to check in, but with no new information the time and distance between them made the whole situation worse.

He was about an hour outside DC when he finally put it together. It was so obvious. He felt like such a jerk. He called Perotta and told her where Adriana and CJ were.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

With a tactical team surrounding the building and agents watching every entrance, Brennan and Perotta in the hall, Sweets approached the door of Booth's apartment and knocked. His first duty was to assess the situation and to get a reading on Adriana. They wanted to end this as quickly and amicably as possible without anyone getting hurt, but if it looked like CJ was in any danger, the kill order had been given.

Adriana opened the door with the chain on. "May I help you?" she said.

"Ms. Flores, I am Dr. Sweets -."

"Booth, my name is Booth ... my husband is not home right now you will need to come back later."

Sweets' assessment was quick - delusional, but he still needed to find out if she was dangerous. "Can you tell me when your husband will be home?" Sweets hated playing into her delusion, but sometimes it was the quickest way to gain trust.

"He's working late. He's a Special Agent with the FBI. He's very important."

"Yes, of course."

The sound of CJ's crying was heard again. She sounded like she had been crying for hours. Brennan started to go to her but Perotta held her back. She whispered, "She is alright, let's keep her that way. Let Sweets do his job."

"Is that a baby crying?" Sweets asked.

"My baby ... she is my baby. Her name is Chloe ... Chloe Booth."

"Very pretty," he said. "Do you need to go attend to her?"

"Yes." She slammed the door and turned the deadbolt.

Sweets stepped back to Perotta and Brennan. "You heard. She is delusional. I will keep her talking, keep her engaged. But I think that Booth will be the only one to talk her out safely."

"This is ridiculous," Brennan stated. "I'm going to get my daughter." Brennan strode away quickly and Sweets following right behind trying to tell her that confronting Adriana was not the safest course of action to insure CJ's continued safety.

Brennan would not be deterred.


	12. Chapter 12

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written April 2011**

**Chapter Twelve**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"God Damn, but you look just like him," Maggie exclaimed as she opened the door to Jared.

"Who, Seeley?"

"No, Billy ... you're the spitting image of him … or what he would have looked like thirty years ago."

Jared didn't know how he felt about that. He had seen pictures of his father and did think that there was a resemblance, more so as he got older. But his grandmother, grandfather and Seeley never remarked on it so Jared thought it was just his imagination. Jared had blocked a lot of the bad memories he had from childhood. Most of what he remembered was Seeley and his father fighting and Jared being pushed out of the room. And then the fighting stopped. On the one hand he was grateful; on the other he was never more alone. Seeley was clearly Pops' favorite. Jared never got a nickname and while Pops went to his games too, he really wasn't that interested. Jared was able to go to school because Seeley blew his shoulder out in college, but he could tell that Pops never thought he would amount to much. Seeley was at every one of his games cheering him on and coaching him in spite of the fact that Jared didn't want the coaching or heed it. That was something he hadn't remembered until that moment. Seeley was the one who encouraged him to finish his school with the Navy though Jared never understood why he didn't want him to join the Army or Special Forces. At the time he figured it was Booth's way of keeping him out of his life, but it was probably not true.

"May I come in?"

"Where's Booth ... the other Booth?"

Maggie had no intention of dealing with this person she had never met before who claimed to be Booth's brother. She wanted to hear it from Booth himself. This new Booth's claim that there was a family emergency just didn't sit right with her. Of course looking at Jared she knew that he was at the very least Billy's son; the other seed that Billy had abandoned. Was that good or bad?

"He should be landing in Washington in a couple of hours. Can we talk?"

She pushed past him and locked the door behind her. "You can buy me a drink and something to eat." She strode away expecting him to follow. Maggie's thought was that if anything when south, she needed to be able to get away. She had been in enough hotel rooms in her life to know that if you let them in they are very hard to get out when the shit goes down.

Jared followed after her. He already liked her.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"This is ridiculous," Brennan stated. "I'm going to get my daughter."

Brennan strode away quickly and Sweets followed right behind. "Dr. Brennan, you asked for my help with this. My professional assessment is that if you confront her delusion, if you challenge it, there is no telling what she would do. She could do harm to herself or CJ or both. We need to proceed carefully."

Brennan heard every word but rapped loudly at the door anyway.

"Go away!" came Adriana's voice from behind the closed and locked door. "My husband isn't home."

Brennan gritted her teeth and glanced at Sweets. His eyes implored her to reconsider. She ignored him. "Adriana, it's Temperance Brennan," she called back in a stern voice.

Adriana again opened the door still with the chain on. CJ was now strapped into a baby carrier on her chest. The idea of taking Adriana by force was just nixed. "I fired you! What are doing here? You have no business here. Go away!"

Brennan's mind was not working like it normally did. Even if it was, she had no idea how to deal with a person who was clearly having a break from reality. "I came here to check on CJ."

"Her name is Chloe!" Adriana screeched making CJ cry. "Chloe Booth. You don't even know her name. How could you possibly care about her?"

"She's my responsibility," Brennan stated forcing herself to remain logical and calm and non-confrontational. "My only interest is for her … for her safety."

"That's none of your concern," she sneered. "I will kill her before I let you near her again." The vitriol dripped from her teeth.

There was an audible intake of breath from everyone behind Brennan and the agents listening outside. Brennan's heart froze. She believed that this woman would kill her baby. Brennan was torn between wanting to take down this psycho and needing to keep her child safe at all costs.

"Don't think I won't do it," Adriana shrieked. "You don't belong here. You don't have a right to this child or my husband. You don't deserve them. You deserve to be alone for your whole life." Then Adriana lifted her right hand chest level. She had a gun and pointed it at Brennan. "I will kill you if you come here again.

Sweets - God bless him - stepped between the women. "No, no need for that. We just want to be sure that C - the baby has everything she needs. Do you have food for her? Blankets? Diapers?"

"I'm a good mother," she stated still pointing the gun at Brennan through Sweets. "I can provide for her. I'm better than that compassionless, callous, cold, unfeeling automaton over there. She belongs with the dead because she is dead inside!" She thrust the gun at Brennan forcing both Brennan and Sweets to take a step back. "All you care about is your money, your career, your bones. You don't love this child. I do - only me. And Chloe loves me. She loves me and she hates you." She turned to Sweets and with it went the muzzle of the weapon. "Go away! I can take care of my daughter. My husband is a Special Agent with the FBI so you better be gone by time he gets home."

Again she slammed and locked the door. CJ started crying again but Adriana moved into the apartment away from the door so her cries were muffled.

Brennan was stunned. So much hatred. So much vehemence. So much loathing directed at her was hard enough to bear, but to have it come from someone who had custody of her child. She had never felt so powerless, so helpless, so homicidal.

Sweets ushered her over to the end of the hall. "Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan didn't look at him. She looked to Perotta.

"She has a weapon?" Perotta asked.

"It's my gun," Brennan explained. "She must have gotten it from the safe in the apartment."

"The safe? How would she know the combination?"

"I don't know."

"As long as she has CJ strapped to her, there is little we can do."

Brennan nodded. She knew that there was nothing she could do. She was powerless. Brennan didn't know how to be powerless.

"Booth should be here in less than an hour. It looks like he will be the only one who she will talk to."

"You are sending him in there with a crazy woman and a gun?" Sweets asked.

"And his daughter, Sweets," Perotta reminded him.

Brennan still had the stuffed rabbit in her hand. She hadn't let go of it. She held it up to Sweets. "CJ will want this."

Words failed him.

"And you will give it back to her," Perotta said. "Let's wait until Booth gets back and maybe we can end this without anyone getting hurt."

Brennan snapped her attention to Perotta. Someone was already hurt. And if Brennan had her way, Adriana would be dead.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"So why are you here?" Maggie asked blowing smoke from her freshly lit cigarette. The remains of a sandwich and fries sat in front of her. She had taken a bite out of each half, tore it apart looking for the cheese and ate the pickle that was all.

"My father left about 29 years ago and I haven't seen or heard from him since. He shows up a few days ago and asks Seeley to find you. I want to know why he cares so much for you when he clearly didn't care about us." That was more honesty than Jared had allowed himself before.

"You're looking for answers? Good luck. Billy Booth would prefer to lie even if the truth severs him better. He doesn't want to know you if you don't have anything he wants. And if you do, he'll find a way to make you give it to him and make you think it was your idea."

"What does he want from you?"

"The house … the land – it's worthless now."

"So why does he want it?"

"Don't know, don't care. Maybe there's oil under the dirt. Maybe gold. Maybe a huge factory will go up on the site and buy him out for a ton of money."

"And you're just going to give it to him?"

"That rat hole means nothing to me. I'll never live in Arizona again. I don't want it."

"You could use the cash."

"Yeah, I could … but like I said; if Billy Booth wants something, he will find away to get it. Better to have nothing he wants."

"So there is no love lost between you too."

"Let's just say I got all I ever want from that bastard before I left - and I paid ten times for it. He could fall of the planet tomorrow and I wouldn't shed a tear. Hell, I might throw a party." She took a long drag on her cigarette. "So you see, you can know him and hate him or you can not know him and hate him. He's just a hateful man."

"I don't hate him. I just want to know why."

"Who cares why? Thank your lucky stars and move the fuck on."

"What did you expect my brother to do for you?"

"I heard Billy was contacting him to look for me. Booth and I had … well we had crossed paths … professionally a few months back. Small world, huh? He said he would help me before he even knew who I was." Clearly Maggie was impressed.

"Yeah, Seeley's good like that. A regular White Knight." Jared shook his head. "Help you with what?"

"I need to get back to see my grandma before she up and dies. Figured I could do that without Billy's interference – was bringing Booth as blocker."

"You can bring this Booth."

"Not on a bet. I mean you're cute and all, but you are dumb as a box of rocks. Booth – Special Agent Seeley Booth knows just what kind of man Billy Booth is. You'd serve me up on a platter."

"What is it you think that my father would do to you?"

"I think he is more worried about what I could do to him. I know some shit about him. It would land him in jail for whatever time he has left. So I expect him to do some sort of preemptive strike."

"So Seeley is going to arrest him?"

"Wow, I hadn't thought of that … shit yeah. That would get some real closure for ol' Seeley, wouldn't it?" She laughed and blew some more smoke. "Nah, all I really wanted from Booth – Seeley Booth was cash, but the threat of him was good enough. Billy doesn't scare me." Maggie was talking a good game, but she was more than a little worried about seeing Billy Booth again on her own.

"Well, I'm not going to give you cash, but I will take you there."

She considered for a moment and then pushed away from the table. "Well let's go, Bucko. It's a six – seven hour drive to Prescott and it's too damn hot to drive in the day time. Head 'em out."

Jared was still not sure what he would find in Prescott or what he would say to his father or what Maggie was so worried about. But with six or seven hours with Maggie, he would learn all there was to know from her.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth was met at the airport by a couple of agents. They apprised him of the situation as much as they knew and escorted him to his apartment – lights and sirens blaring the whole way. Booth had called Brennan from the car. He couldn't really hear her but he thought she said that Adriana was threatening to kill CJ. Booth was out of the car before it came to a complete stop and running up the stairs of his building. The first person he recognized was Agent Perotta. Brennan was standing right next to her but she was drained of all color. She watched him approach and folded into his ready and much needed embrace. Booth took brief comfort from her as well.

"Alright?" he whispered.

"No."

"It'll be OK," he said more to himself than to her. He slid his hand down to take hers and turned to Perotta and Sweets. "Situation," he asked.

"She has locked herself in your apartment. She has CJ in a carrier on her chest and she has a weapon."

"My gun," Brennan said. "She stole it from the apartment."

Booth wanted to ask how she could have gotten it but that wasn't important at the moment.

"What is she asking for?"

It was Sweets turn. "She is delusional. She believes that she is CJ's mother. Believes that you two are married. Has threatened to kill CJ rather than turn her over to Dr. Brennan. Has threatened to kill her too." Sweets noticed Booth's jaw clench and he reflexively tighten his hold on Brennan's hand. "She won't talk to us. Has made no demands. Claims that she has everything that CJ needs and is just waiting for her husband to come home."

"She's insane," Booth stated the obvious.

"In all likelihood she has had a psychotic break, which means she is very unpredictable."

Perotta added her information. "She has no family, no friends to speak of. Her apartment is sterile. It seems all she has is work. We have called several of her previous employers, none of them believed that she was capable of this but none of them seemed surprised. None felt that they were close enough to her to talk to her."

"What's the play?" Booth asked.

"My suggestion," said Sweets stealing glances at Brennan. "I suggest you indulge her delusion. Go in an act as her husband and as soon as you get CJ in your arms and the weapon if possible the tactical unit comes in and takes her down." Sweets and Perotta had been working this plan for a while. She had won him over.

"We'll wire you up and give you a code word," Perotta added.

"You think she is that dangerous?"

"We're not taking a change with CJ's life," Brennan stated.

He turned to her. "Of course we aren't. A sniper could do the job more effectively."

"Did you hear the part about CJ being strapped to her chest?" She struggled to keep her anger and fear in check but she was losing it. "Do you trust anyone – including yourself – to make that shot? I'd kill her myself with my bare hands if she didn't have CJ strapped to her."

Her rigidness and anger were daunting. She was wound so tight she was about to explode. Booth had never seen her like that. He hoped he never would again. He believed she would kill. "If I go in there we could wind up with two hostages."

"Three," said Sweets. "I'm going with you."

"Like hell."

"I'm going with you. I've been knocking on the door for the last few hours. She knows me. She won't have a problem if you are just bringing home a friend from work."

"You know that how?" Booth demanded.

"I don't like this," Perotta stated.

"I don't like any of it." Booth looked at Sweets. "You take your cues from me."

"It will be the other way around, Agent," Sweets corrected. "If you're pushing her too hard to fast, I will be there to slow it down. I'm only thinking about CJ right now. The most important thing is to keep Adriana calm. Buy into whatever she says. Gain her trust. Get her to hand you the baby."

"OK," he said.

"Keep her calm," Sweets reiterated.

"I got it, Sweets." He nodded to the guy standing by with the wire. "What's the word?"

"_**Rabbit**_." Brennan said.

He noticed CJ's bunny in Brennan's hand and nodded. "Fine, Rabbit and the tac team enters." He directed his next comments to Perotta and to the rest of the team listening in. "Snipers in two positions, one on the kitchen, one on the second bedroom. If anything goes wrong, they are to take her out. Clean shot to the head – and don't miss."

The mikes clicked from the two snipers indicating that they heard him.

"If I think you can take the shot … the word is _**Baseball**_." The mikes clicked again. He looked at Brennan. "I'll be right back, OK?"

She nodded and released his hand.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Maggie and Jared passed the WELCOME TO ARIZONA sign.

"Home Sweet Home," Maggie groaned. "I'm sick to my stomach already."

"Should have eaten something."

"Yeah, well … next time."

"So what happened with Booth … the other Booth?"

Jared considered not telling her, but decided that there was no reason to hide it. "His daughter has been taken, kidnapped."

"And you stayed here with me rather than be there for him?" Maggie was shocked. "Like father, like son."

For the first time it occurred to Jared that he should have gone home with Booth. Booth would have protested, but Jared should have insisted.

"Seeley and I are still working out our relationship. There were a lot of years where we were really not friends."

"I can see it from his side, but what's your beef?"

Since Jared got sober he hadn't been able to answer that question so he stopped asking it.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth and Sweets walked down the hall. Booth was totally working the scenario. He was talking to Sweets loudly as if nothing in the world were wrong; just two coworkers going home at the end of a long day to catch the last few innings of a baseball game. Booth giggled his keys loudly before putting one in the lock.

"Come on in, Sweets ... have a beer." He pushed the door open and chain stopped it. "What the hell? Hey, unchain the door!"

"Seeley?"

"Who else?" he said roughly. "Open the damn door."

Sweets mouthed the words, "Keep her calm."

The door slammed shut from the inside and the chain was taken off. It opened again quickly and Booth blew in with Sweets in tow as if he belonged there, as if it were any other night. As if a psychotic nanny hadn't kidnapped his daughter and was holding a gun in her hand. He ignored Adriana like any typical chest beating, dinner-on-the-table-at-six husband would. The gun let him know - regardless of what Sweets thought, that she was not completely delusional.

Booth pulled off his coat and tie and tossed it over the back of the couch. "Grab us a couple of beers, would you?" He flopped down on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table still mindlessly chatting about nothing with Sweets who was not playing along as well as he should have been. "Hey? The beers?"

Adriana nodded slowly and moved to the kitchen to get the beers. Booth thought about ordering the snipers to take the shot, but thought that maybe he could take her down without any need for loss of life. Though he agreed with Brennan, he could kill this woman with his bare hands. She came back directly and handed the men the bottles.

"You really should have let me know that you were bringing home a guest for dinner, dear."

Booth bristled at her term of endearment. "Sweets isn't a guest. He'll have whatever you're making." Booth thought it was time to go for his big play. "Look, give me the kid and go fix us a couple of plates, huh? The game's almost over." He reached out for the remote and clicked on the TV but made sure to keep the sound down so it didn't interfere with the wire. "Come on, give me the kid. I'm starving."

"NO!" she screeched and waived the gun at him. "I can take care of her."

"Just trying to help." He put his hands up in a defensive stance. She lowered the gun.

"You think I don't know what's going on here?" she shouted again looking between Sweets and Booth. "You think I don't know what you're up to? I know. I know everything." The more she shouted the more upset CJ got. "It is not going to work."

The plan changed and Booth couldn't tell anyone about it. He just had to hope that Sweets knew what to do. Booth stood up and got in her face. "You raising your voice to me? To me? I don't need this shit at the end of a long day." He encroached on her and she backed away. "This is not what I signed up for, bitch. And look at this place! It's a sty. When was the last time you dusted in here? It stinks. Open a damn window, light a candle, something. How the hell are you going to take care of the baby if you can't take care of the house? And can't you shut that kid up!"

Her back was against the wall and she lost focus for a moment.

In a flash he had her disarmed and her arms pined behind her back. Sweets was right there to pull the baby out of the carrier. Booth pushed her down to the floor, kept her in place with a knee on her back, pulled his handcuffs out of his belt and cuffed her. He wanted to hit her. He wanted to really wail on her, but he stopped himself. He stopped himself because if he started he wouldn't stop until he was pulled off. He took CJ from Sweets. She was screaming. "Hello? Rabbit!" Booth tried to comfort CJ. The tac team rushed in followed by Perotta and Brennan. Booth went directly to her and placed CJ in her arms. The baby immediately started to settle down. Adriana was spitting venom at everyone in the room. As soon as she saw Brennan holding CJ, her tirade was directed at Brennan. "Somebody shut her up, or I will," Booth warned. He wrapped and arm around Brennan and CJ and escorted them out into the hallway away from that scene and that woman. They didn't need to hear it any more.

"Is she OK?" Booth asked once they were far enough away.

Brennan's voice was unsteady and she had started to shake. "She's hungry. She needs to be changed. She's scared and exhausted from crying for the last six hours. But she seems to be OK."

Booth felt Brennan trembling. "It's OK." He pulled her close and rubbed his hand down her back. "We got her back. She's safe. Everyone is safe."

"I want to go home."

"Yeah, me too."

"I've never been so scared in my entire life."

Booth kept them very close and thought the same thing. "It's OK now. Everyone is safe. It's OK."

Brennan felt anything but safe and nothing was OK, but CJ was alive and in her arms and that was all that was important. Brennan needed to focus on her. Nothing else mattered.


	13. Chapter 13

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written April 2011**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth stood in the shower with the scalding hot water beating down on him. It was times like these when he was grateful for Brennan's tankless water heater, but that was the furthest thing from his mind that night. He wasn't sure if it were night any more. It could have been morning, but it was still dark out. He wasn't even sure what day it was. But he wasn't thinking about the time or the day of the week or the day, month or year. He was trying not to think at all. His mind kept spinning back to Adriana and his words to her. They worked, they were effective - everyone was home safe and sound and the bad guy - bad girl in this case - was taken into custody and on her way to a psyche eval. But where did those words come from? How did they come out of him so easily? He tried to stop thinking about it and directing the shower to pulse down on his neck, shoulders and back - but they would not recede.

_**You raising your voice to me? To me? I don't need this shit at the end of a long day. This is not what I signed up for, bitch. And look at this place! It's a sty. When was the last time you dusted in here? It stinks. Open a damn window, light a candle, something. How the hell are you going to take care of the baby if you can't take care of the house? And can't you shut that kid up! **_

Booth snapped back to the hot water. He had enough. He needed distraction. He turned the water off and climbed out. But his thoughts wouldn't stop spinning. He knew exactly where those words came from: Billy Booth. And in comparison - they were tame.

Booth biggest issue was that it was far too easy to channel his father that day. He dropped into abusive husband too quickly. He never forgot what he was doing, but he found that he had balled up his fist as he was escalating and he was ready to strike. That scared him.

Booth had never hit a woman - in anger or otherwise and definitely not with a closed fist. Sometimes in his line of work women hit him. It would not have been unheard of or against policy to use reasonable force to subdue a woman, but all Booth ever did was restrain. It was a policy he lived by. He got some pretty nasty scratches from that policy, a hit to the balls once or twice and his instep mashed with a high heel, but he never deviated from it. It was a thing with him. It scared him to know that he could have hit that woman. He could have struck her and beat her senseless and no one would have been able to pull him off. But she wasn't a woman; she was the person who kidnapped his daughter who happened to be female. In the end, he didn't do it; his training took over - FBI training, not husband training. But what about next time?

Next time he wouldn't do it either. He wiped the steam off the mirror. "I'm not him," he said aloud. "I'm not him," he repeated almost believing it. "I AM NOT HIM!" Still didn't quite drown out that super ego, but it was quieter. He would have to start saying it like a mantra.

HIM! Dad! Billy Booth! Booth was not sure if it was interesting, convenient or if it had some deeper cosmic meaning that his father showed up just days before this event. Booth was finally at a point in his life when he was a husband (for all intents and purposes) and father in a domestic little family unit. Why did his father show up now? Why not years before? Why not years hence? Why show up at all? It had nothing to do with Maggie. It was a fluke he knew her. Her calling him for help had nothing to do with anything Booth did. Maggie might argue that. He was pretty much useless in tracking her down, so why did his father show up to ask? And why did he leave so easily? And why was Booth rushing to help a virtual stranger with a man he barely knew? Clearly he should be at home. He had responsibilities; people who needed him.

WHOA! Red Flag warning.

Booth had decided a long time ago that he would never be dependent on another person and would only allow a certain amount of dependence on him. It's impossible to do that in the normal course of living but it certainly had an impact on the choice of women, friends and jobs that Booth made. He was a lone wolf - no partner at work, no partner at home; no one to rely on and no one to rely on him. That was probably why he wasn't married at forty plus.

The reason for that decision was simple: he saw what dependence did to his mother. He loved his mother there was no doubt about that. But she needed Billy Booth for everything. Booth was pretty young when she died but he was old enough to know that his mother had never balanced a check book in her life, she was given an allowance for groceries and had to clear everything though Billy from cleaning products, to the cut of meat she bought. Independence was not the measure of a person, but it certainly spoke to her ability to cope in the world. Gayle Booth could not have made it on her own - at least that is what Billy convinced her. The day she died, Booth made the decision to never rely or depend on anyone. He wondered if that was why he always picked strong women who did not rely on him for everything or damn near anything and he often found himself alone.

Of course that all changed when Brennan walked into his life. Gayle Booth and Brennan were as similar as nothing at all. Brennan would never tolerate the crap that his mother put up with not that Booth had any intention of dishing it out. Brennan would kick Booth's ass to the curb before one voice was raised in anger over something stupid like toilet paper - and would literally do it if he raised a hand to her or a child - any child. Of course Brennan's problem had been his problem - deciding not to trust, not to invest, not to expect someone to be there. He was pretty good at staying free of encumbrances; but Brennan was a master. When they met she didn't need anyone and made sure that anyone and everyone knew it. That changed about seven weeks ago - it has slowly been changing for years, but the day CJ was born, Brennan was hooked to another living soul for the rest of her life. It was a miracle or it really was fate that he and Brennan had found themselves together after all.

How did they wind up together?

He was attracted to her from day one. It was lust at first - in that I-nailed-the-librarian kind of way - but it quickly changed. He told himself that he pursued her after that first case because she was good, better than good. She was brilliant and would make him look good. He needed that. His reputation was flagging at the bureau. He had lost his partner - retired, not dead - and no one wanted to work with him. He had a problem getting to work on time - staying up until dawn gambling tended to mess with his promptness. Before he hooked up with Brennan, Booth was not what one would call a closer. He had good instincts but didn't want to do the work to prove his theories. Brennan was just the opposite. She dealt in facts alone - tangible facts. She forced him to be a better cop. Then she demanded to come into the field with him. It was a constant struggle in the beginning. They had little or nothing in common except the most important thing. They both wanted the bad guy to go to jail. Everything else was a debate. He said he fell in love with her from day one. That is not exactly true, but he knew she would change his life. He was not wrong.

He looked again in the mirror. He was not his father. Brennan was not his mother. Their relationship would never be like his parent's. They were their own people - still individuals, but individuals who found each other and learned to trust, respect and love. It didn't where he came from; he was where he wanted to be with whom he wanted to be with and doing what he wanted to do. He was happy. He was lucky. He would do what it took to keep his family protected and together. Something his father never did.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Brennan never left CJ's room. She fed her, bathed her, dressed her in clean fresh soft clothes and let her fall asleep in Brennan's arms. She couldn't put CJ down. She couldn't walk away. She couldn't take her eyes off the little baby for a moment. It was a terrifying ordeal for CJ but also for Brennan. The helplessness was the worst. Intellectually she knew she was doing the right thing by not pressing forward and antagonizing Adriana. That was not what kept her sitting vigil with CJ. Something else was inside of her telling her that she didn't deserve to be a mother. It actually wasn't her super ego alone; it was the words that Adriana spit at her as she was cuffed.

_**You are cold and heartless.**_

_**That child is a product of cold, calculating evil.**_

_**You're an adulterer, a home wrecker. **_

_**You don't deserve to be a mother or a wife.**_

_**He doesn't love you.**_

_**He is only with you because of the baby.**_

_**He will leave you.**_

_**He will leave you and take the baby.**_

_**You will be alone. Forever.**_

_**You deserve to die alone. **_

There were other ravings but those were the ones that stuck with Brennan the most. Those were enough. How Adriana knew what buttons to push was a mystery. How she knew the details was also a mystery.

Brennan sat there in the dark rocking her sleeping daughter trying to convince herself that Adriana was wrong. That she wasn't cold or calculating. She did love and she deserved to be loved. She tried to convince herself that Booth really did love her but other fears crept into her mind. Booth was engaged to another woman when CJ was conceived during one adulterous night that she arranged. He wouldn't be with Brennan now if he had married Hannah. He had chosen Hannah over her over a year ago. He excused Brennan from his life over a year ago. The only reason he was back now was because of the baby. Adriana was right, Booth would leave her. Her daughter would grow up and leave her. Brennan would be alone.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"Hey," Booth called to her softly from the hall. "She's asleep. Why don't you put her down and get some sleep yourself?"

"I'm not tired," she said without looking up.

"I'm exhausted, you have to be whipped." He stepped over to them and squatted down next to the rocker. "Some day huh?"

Brennan gave a slight nod.

"TGIF!" She shook her head. She didn't know what he meant. "Thank God it's Friday."

"Is it?" She shifted away from him slightly in her seat. "I will be taking more time off."

"Good idea." He reached out to gently stroke a finger down CJ's cheek.

"I can be a good mother, Booth," she almost snapped at him causing CJ to stir a bit.

"You're a great mother," he said with no affect still looking at CJ.

"I didn't confront Adriana - I didn't take action because I didn't want her to hurt CJ."

He looked up at her realizing that she was feeling guilty about what happened. "Of course you didn't. There was nothing more you could have done."

"But you did ... there was more you did. If you didn't go in there ... if you weren't there ..."

"I was there ... we got her back. Everything's OK."

"I picked Lana on Sweets' recommendation," she protested. "I was only away from her for an hour and I didn't authorize Lana to take CJ outside."

"Bones, none of this was your fault. Adriana was a whack job. There was no way either of us could have prevented this."

"You wouldn't have let it happen."

"I did let it happen. I was on a plane to New Mexico." He pulled another chair over. "Bones, there is no fault here."

"Ok." She didn't believe him; she just wanted to end the conversation.

"Let me have her. Go take a shower. You'll feel better."

Brennan clutched CJ more tightly. "I'm fine. I don't want to leave her. I don't want her to wake up and wonder where I am."

"I'll be here. I'll stay with her."

"NO." She was adamant.

"Ok ... Ok ... when was the last time you ate anything?"

"I'm not hungry."

"That was not the question. I'm sure you didn't have dinner, and if I know you - you didn't have lunch either."

"I don't remember."

"Bones, you can't stay up twenty-four hours a day. You need to sleep. You need to eat. You know that."

She had stopped listening to him scold her. "Why are you here? Why are you with me?"

The switching gears totally took him off guard. "What?"

"Would you want to be with me if it weren't for CJ?"

"Yes." He decided to go for simple and honest.

"But you weren't. You weren't with me until CJ was almost here."

"I know. Haven't I apologized for that?"

"I don't want your apology."

"What do you want?"

"To understand. I need to know if you are here because you want to be with me or if it is because of CJ."

"Kind of hard to separate you two at the moment, but you know I have always felt that you and I were fated to be together."

"I don't believe in fate."

"I do and it was driven home to me again this past ten eleven months. I love you, Bones. I always have. I agree there was a time when it was hard to believe and I actively tried to ignore my feelings for you, but they were always there. I'm not sure you could say the same thing."

"Did you grant my request to use your sperm to end your relationship with Hannah?"

"I really don't want to talk about Hannah right now."

She shrugged. "Did you?"

"I believe I answered that. But here is a question for you: Did you invite me to your house that night in an effort to break us up?"

"No, I told you -."

"I know what you told me. And I know you can rationalize it six ways to Sunday, but you had to know that if I fathered your child in any way that could have happened that I would want you and the child in my life. And with you and a baby in my life, Hannah would be history."

"That was not my intent."

"Are you sure?"

"I considered my reasoning very carefully."

"I'm sure you did. I'm sure you had a table or a chart with pros and cons. But you had to know what would happen."

"I didn't want to trap you."

"But you were fine with opening the door and letting me walk through."

"Is that what happened?"

"Bones, I went there that night with all kinds of mixed up feelings. I didn't even care what you needed me for. I was just grateful to have a chance to talk to you. I should have contacted you - hell I did contact you but we never figured out how to meet up."

"For good reason."

Booth nodded. "You're right. We were well beyond a friendship and to try to go back to that was short sighted."

"It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is right now. If you are only with me because of CJ, then I think we shouldn't get married. I think we shouldn't live together. I think we should work out a custody arrangement and go on with our lives. It worked for you and Rebecca."

Booth was floored. "Where is this coming from? Not from Adriana."

Brennan looked a little shamed.

"Bones, she was just spouting garbage. Don't let her words affect you - affect us."

"She was not wrong. I am cold."

"No you're not. You are one of the most compassionate people I know - you just wrap it in this super scientist unaffected shell because you feel too much. If you show your compassion to the world, you will get hurt. I understand that. I have known that about you for years. You don't do that with me. With CJ. With your friends."

Brennan didn't answer.

"Ok look." He took her hand. "There is one way I can prove to you that I want to be with you and will never leave."

"You can't prove it."

"Well, I can prove that I want to take a leap of faith. Marry me, Bones. Share your whole life with me and let me share mine with you."

"You know how I feel about marriage."

"And you know how I feel ... I'm not offering you nothing. I'm offering you everything I have, everything I am ... everything I will ever be."

She looked into his eyes. He was sincere. "I have already accepted that we will marry - if you still want to."

"No, no ... not just marry in the eyes of the USofA. I want you and I to make a vow to be together for the rest of our lives - come what may. I want to vow to make it work and to not give up. I want you to know it in your heart, in your head and everywhere else that you are committed to me and I am committed to you." He smiled and pressed his hand. "For my part I already have - if that makes it any easier. I'm never letting you get away from me again."

"OK."

"Ok?" He didn't believe her. "Alright look ... I won't press you for an answer tonight - this morning - whatever. But I want you to think about it. Think about what I've said. Hear my words in your head and in your heart. Get Adriana and her bullshit out. She can't hurt us."

Brennan nodded but didn't know how truly she believed that she could get Adriana out of her head.

"There is about three hours before dawn. Let's put CJ down. We can bring the crib into the bedroom if you want, and let's get some sleep."

Brennan agreed. CJ was in a carrier on her side of the bed raised up on a chair so Brennan could see her. She was an arm's length away. Booth and Brennan settled into a comfortable closeness.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Thirty to forty-five minutes had passed and neither one was a sleep. Booth was dealing with his own demons again.

"What's wrong?" Brennan asked leaning back into his chest and running her hand down his thigh.

"Nothing if you keep touching me like that."

She pulled her hand away. "What's wrong?"

He took her hand and put it back on his thigh. "I scared myself tonight."

"How?"

"What I said to Adriana. I how easily I dropped into that abusive spouse roll. I got that from my father. My memory says that he was worse, but that's a child's memory with thirty years to inflate it." He was silent and she let him find his words. "It scared me how easily it came back."

She rolled over to face him. "You're not your father, Booth."

"You'd never stand for it."

"It has nothing to do with me. It is you - all you. You could never do the things you have told me he has done. I don't want to get into nature vs. nurture - but you are in no way your father. You did what you had to do tonight to save our daughter. You never lost control and you never lost sight of what needed to be done. I'm glad it worked. I'm glad you didn't have to kill Adriana. I would have ... I would have killed that woman with my bare hands if she had hurt CJ in any way - and you know I could have. So I understand a little about scaring yourself and doing things that you would never expect yourself to do."

"It's powerful this thing ... this parenthood thing, huh?"

She smiled. "So far, it has brought me the greatest joy and the deepest fear I have ever known. I expect I will be able to say that in twenty years."

"With a lot more events in the joy column, I hope."

"Me too."

She kissed him and rolled back over to look at their sleeping child. Booth still felt restless behind her. "You're a very good man, Seeley Booth. I am lucky to have you in my life. I want to make a life with you and I promise for my part to figure out how to make it work."

He pulled her tightly to his chest and kissed her neck. "See, not so hard."

"Do we still have to stand up in front of our friends and a judge?"

"Yes." He kissed her neck again. "But not tonight or tomorrow. Get some sleep."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

The next morning with a promise not to let CJ out of his sight, Brennan showered and changed. Booth was making breakfast when she came out to the kitchen and CJ was watching him happily. Brennan had heard Booth on the phone.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Jared. He and Maggie are on their way to Prescott. Guess they stayed the night in Flagstaff."

"When are you leaving?"

"I'm not going anywhere. Told Jared and Maggie what they needed to know - Jared will be there for her."

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Not leaving either of you for a while - maybe eighteen years."

"That is a bit unrealistic."

"This from a woman who made me promise not to turn my back on our daughter in our locked apartment."

"You have a point."

"Ya think?"

"I do." She sat down next to CJ. "But I also think you have a responsibility to Maggie and I know you don't trust Jared to be that helpful."

He sat down across from her. "I'll have to."

"Booth please ... I am staying here for the next few weeks. We will be fine. No nannies - no baby sitters - just us."

"I'm up for that."

"Booth, you should go. You'll be back tomorrow or the next day. We'll be fine."

Booth did feel that he needed to be there, but he would not leave his family. "Come with me."

"What?"

"Yeah, come with me. Will grab Parker and make a vacation of it. You can say in a luxury hotel in Scottsdale sitting by the pool. I'll take a run up to Prescott and then we can spend the week. Kind of like a honeymoon - with the kids."

She smiled. "Do you know how hot it is in Phoenix in July?"

"I'll bet they have air conditioning."

"Parker would prefer to go to Disneyland or Sea World or the San Diego Zoo. But you can't take any more time off."

He smiled. "I'll get Sweets to fix it up - stress leave after our ordeal."

She thought for a moment. "Ok."

"Ok?"

"Yes, but we are going to Prescott with you. Will Rebecca let Parker go for a week?"

"Sure ... he's out of school, probably underfoot. She would be glad he was having fun."

"Ok."

He still wasn't sure why she was agreeing so easily. "Why?"

"Cause we are a family Booth and this is a family matter. We will do it together."

She was so matter of fact about it. The amazing power of Brennan to come to a rational conclusion and follow it through with no looking back always amazed him. He leaned over to kiss her. "Thank you."

"Of course." She pulled him in for a kiss over CJ who giggled, smiled and kicked her feet at her parents.


	14. Chapter 14

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written April 2011**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth, Brennan and CJ were headed up I-17 in Arizona the very next morning after spending a very nice quiet, romantic evening at a resort in Scottsdale. It was a good start to their pre-_honeymoon_. Parker had other obligations for that weekend, but he would meet them in San Diego on Monday. It was a debate about letting him fly alone, but Parker insisted that he was old enough. At thirteen, nearly fourteen he was probably correct, but after their ordeal with CJ which neither Parker nor Rebecca knew anything about, it was a little nerve wracking for Booth and Brennan. Parker would fly first class courtesy of Brennan. Rebecca would to drop him off at the gate, and Booth would pick him up at the gate and alert the Air Marshalls to look out for him. It was a non-stop flight, so they had their bases covered. The parents and step parent were comforted. Parker was just thrilled to be flying first class. Going to San Diego was fun too.

When Maggie heard that Booth was coming, she halted her progress toward Prescott. She stayed in Flagstaff. Jared went on alone, promised to say nothing of Maggie. Booth hadn't heard from him since. That was not a good sign. He felt that his father's claim to be sober was less than true. Jared still didn't think of himself as an alcoholic. He thought of himself as someone who doesn't drink, which meant that he believed he could handle a drink now and then. Only time would tell about that theory.

The new family unit was to meet Maggie in Sedona. Booth had never been to Arizona before - everywhere else in the world, but never Arizona. The red rock beauty of Sedona took his breath away. He pulled over and got out to look at the majesty of Cathedral Rock in the early morning sun. Brennan was droning on about the make-up of the rocks being a thick layer of red to orange colored sandstone found only in the Sedona vicinity. She said the area between Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon was one of the vortices for the Harmonic Convergence back in 1987. She proudly stated that she was there with her parents at the time and saw nothing that made her believe that there was any special power in that location. She was eleven at the time.

Booth took her by her shoulders, turned her toward the red rocks and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Bones, it's beautiful."

She relaxed back into him. "Yes, yes it is."

He kissed her. "Gotta teach you how to stop and smell the roses, baby." He let her go to get back in the car.

She stood confused looking around.

"Bones?"

"I don't see any roses."

He smiled. "It's a thing ... just go with it. Let's go."

"Did you call me _baby_?" Booth shrugged. "I have agreed to the marriage, but patronizing terms of endearment are not acceptable."

"Whatever, Bones, let's go." He paused. "Sweet cheeks." A slow grin crossed his face. "Was that patronizing?"

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Maggie had been waiting at The Coffee Pot Restaurant for nearly an hour when Booth and Brennan with CJ arrived. She was immediately uncomfortable. She stood ready to walk away.

"Who's Madonna and child, Boothy Boy?"

Booth shot a look at Brennan and looked back at Maggie. "My fiancée."

Brennan squirmed but did not say anything.

"Fiancée? Is that a fancy way of saying that you knocked her up and have to marry her but haven't yet? Waiting for the paternity tests?"

"Sit down, Maggie," he ordered. "Maggie Carroll aka Margaret Jackson, Dr. Temperance Brennan."

Brennan nodded. She wanted to add that she was a forensic anthropologist and his partner to drive home the fact that she was not some random female.

"Is the kid yours, Booth?" Maggie asked. "Cause it looks like you – not sure if that's a good thing. It's a girl right?" She looked over at Brennan. "But good for you, huh? Easier to convince him he's the dad."

"Ms Carroll -." Brennan started.

"Maggie," Booth interrupted. "We're here to help you get what is rightfully yours – so lose the attitude, OK?" He paused making sure she got that he was not amused. "Did you understand what I told you yesterday?"

"Yeah … something about winning the lottery."

"Not quite," Booth went on. "It seems that when you were bitten by a dog as a child, there was a financial settlement. It wasn't much and was supposed to go to the cost of plastic surgery when you were old enough."

"For what? These scars on my legs and neck … that's stupid."

"Be that as it may," Brennan interrupted thinking that she might have more luck with her. "The money was invested and apparently invested very wisely. The value of your portfolio is now close to a million dollars."

"Get the fuck out!" Maggie shouted. "You on the level?"

"Yes," Brennan confirmed and presented her with the statement that Angela has retrieved.

"Says Margaret Carroll Jackson Trust - what is that? Why is my name on a trust? What's a trust?"

"A trust is -."

Booth cut Brennan off. "The money was held for you until you turned twenty-two. No one could touch it, including you. It's wrapped up as part of your inheritance from your mother."

"My mother? How did she get into this? She's been dead for eighteen years. Left me a locket and that's it."

"Not true," Booth said. "The house and land, Tara's house and land were put in your mother's name before she married Billy Booth. It went to you when your mother died. Since Tara was made your legal guardian, she was to maintain control of it until you reached the age of 22."

"William Booth has been able to take a second mortgage on the house," Brennan stated. "With the market the way it is, the house is upside down."

"You haven't even seen it yet," Maggie exclaimed.

"The amount owed on it is more than the amount it is worth," Brennan restated.

"So if all of this is mine, what does Billy want with me. Wouldn't it be better for him if I never knew this? He can keep living there, for all I care. He can't really care if I see Gram before she dies."

"He will probably try to get you to sign over the house and land -."

"Like I said." She knew that from before. "But if it is ... what did you say? Upside down? What does he want it for - why doesn't he just walk away?"

Booth and Brennan shared a look. Booth looked back at Maggie. "Since you didn't know about the trust, we suspect he will try to get you to sign that over to him as well. He would just slip it in with the rest of the paperwork and you would be none the wiser."

"Do you know this for a fact?"

"No, but you know Billy – what do you think?"

"Real piece of work that guy." She started to light a cigarette but the waitress warned her not to with a stern look. "I can see you have a real high opinion of him too, huh?" She waved for more coffee. "Yeah, well, he's taking a chance bringing me back to town. I got some shit on him that he don't want coming out."

Booth's ears pricked up. "Like what?"

"He didn't kill a guy, so you can wipe that drool off your mouth, but he's no straight arrow. And his friends aren't clean either – dirty sick bastards that they are."

"Would you care to share?" Booth didn't want to press her, but he wanted to know in some protective uncle way.

Maggie looked like she might tell him but changed her mind. To air Billy Booth's dirty laundry would not reflect too well on her either. Of course she was a kid through most of it, but that didn't really matter. "If you are going to arrest him, I will tell you, but if you just want to know so that you can have more reasons to be glad he bailed on you; then forget it."

Booth sat back. He glanced over at Brennan who had been quiet for a while. He smiled at her. "You know me - justice first, family connection second."

Maggie shook her head confused.

Brennan looked back at her. "Booth arrested my father years ago - but he did kill a man, so Booth had to."

"I was nice about it," Booth protested reaching out to press her hand.

"Eventually my father was not found guilty and we're all friends now," Brennan finished the story.

"How long have you two known each other?"

"Eight years ... we were partners first," Brennan explained.

"Thought you were some kind of egg head doctor."

"I'm a forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian Institution working in the Medico-Legal lab and working with the FBI to solve murder cases when the victim is too decomposed to be identified with conventional methods."

"Yeah, that." Maggie looked back at Booth. "The warehouse thing?"

He nodded.

"Did you ever catch the guy responsible?"

"We believe the person or persons responsible are dead, so there are no leads to pursue."

"Sucks."

"Yes, it's far better to bring people to justice than accept their death as resolution of a crime," Brennan commented. CJ started to fuss. Brennan took her out of the carrier.

Maggie snorted a laugh. "Right, Justice … Like that happens." She looked back at Booth. "What?"

"Do you want to tell me about Billy?"

She considered. "There's probably not enough to get him tossed in jail, but enough to get him killed." It would still reflect badly on her. She shook her head no. "No great loss." She saw Booth wince. "Sorry, guess he is still your dad."

"You have known him longer than I have."

"Whatever." Maggie looked back at Brennan who was now breastfeeding CJ at the table in the restaurant in front of God and everybody. "Oh, hell no!" She looked helplessly at Booth. "Seriously?"

"It is very natural and in the western culture it is normal to be offended by the public display. But I assure you, you're in the world's minority. Human breast milk is the healthiest form of milk for human babies," Brennan stated.

"As opposed to baboon babies?"

"Or cow's milk for humans," Brennan said. "Breast milk promotes health and helps to prevent disease."

"Suppose you never have to worry about warming up a bottle and it has to save on dishes."

"Nutritionally, breast milk has the correct balance of fat, sugar, water and protein that an infant needs for development. It has been associated with higher intelligence, reduced occurrence of diabetes, childhood obesity and allergies. It's good for the mother as well promoting infant/mother bonding, weight loss and the release of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin that relax the mother. "

"Did you ever think of putting her on Jeopardy?" Maggie asked Booth. "You'd clean up."

Booth just smiled, but couldn't take his eyes off of Brennan and CJ. He loved how soft, calm, natural, loving and nurturing Brennan was with CJ at this time. There was no sign of the socially awkward, super brain, partner that he had come to appreciate – just the tender woman he loved. He wondered how many kids Brennan would want. He would like one more – maybe two. He wanted one child to be conceived and born the old fashion way – the REAL old fashion way. But he had to get her to the altar first – well at least to the Justice of the Peace.

"So, what's the plan, Stan?" Maggie asked stirring Booth from his thoughts.

"We go down to Prescott. Let you visit with your grandmother. Collect the information we need about your trust and then you can go anywhere you want to go."

"What's your cut?" she asked.

Booth would have been offended by her question, but it was reasonable for her to think that a Booth would have some mercenary motivation to help her considering what she could have suffered at the hands of Billy Booth.

"Nothing," he said flatly. "I'm here to see that you are treated fairly and not take advantage of."

"A white knight, huh?"

"Something like that."

"What about that brother of yours?" She shifted her position. "What's his deal?"

"Jared was pretty young when Dad left," Booth explained. "I don't think he really understood what happened or what was happening. So I assume he wants to confront our father – make some peace with it."

"Well, best I can tell ... you were adopted, 'cause Billy and your bro-boy Jared - well let's just say that that apple didn't fall far from that tree."

Booth sat up straighter. He was annoyed that she presumed to know who Jared was after a few hours with him. "Jared has had his problems, but I can't agree with that. He was definitely helped by his stint in the Navy. He is doing very well now. In a solid relationship, has quit drinking and is really turned his life around."

"From your lips, baby." Maggie shrugged. "But I've seen a ton of guys like Jared. With a couple of bad breaks he could be a copy of his dad."

Booth really hoped she was wrong. He and Brennan shared a look. Brennan had ceased having an opinion about Jared a long time ago. She deferred to Booth and never commented and she was nice to Jared when and if they were together.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Jared woke in the bed of the pick-up. His head was pounding, his teeth felt like they were wearing socks; he could smell the vomit all around him and taste the blood in his mouth. He remembered very little of the night before but assumed it would come back in bits and pieces. He tried to sit up and every muscle in his body ached. He pulled himself up and saw blood and cuts on his knuckles. He remembered the feeling from his first days in the Navy – his heaviest drinking days. He had gotten drunk and gotten into a fight. Since he wasn't in the hospital he had to think he won. He slid to the end of the gate and slid out of the truck. His legs were barely strong enough to hold him. He worked his way around the truck. The front end was wrapped around a tree. He got to the passenger side and looked in. There was an old man lying across the front seat who also looked like he had been in a fight. It took a minute to recognize him. It was his father. He reached into see if he was still breathing. He was. Jared sunk down to the ground and dropped his head in his hands. What the hell happened?

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**


	15. Chapter 15

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written April 2011**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Jared racked his brain to remember what had happened. He drove to Prescott. His father was not home. A neighbor told him that he would be in _**Overtime**_, which turned out to be a dive bar at the edge of town. He found Billy already a few of head. Jared told himself he wasn't going to drink, but he found that he was as powerless against Billy as he was when he was three or four and Billy was pouring scotch, vodka or tequila into his sippy cup. His memory got a little blurry after that.

Jared tried to wake Billy, but it was no use. He walked up the driveway toward the house. He reached for his wallet: gone. His phone: gone. His car keys: gone. The change in his pocket: gone. Maybe he was mugged and that was how he got so beat up. It was a possibility, but Jared didn't think so. He remembered something about being called a squid. He hadn't been in a bar fight with marines in a very long time, but the ache in his kidneys told him that whoever was beating on him had skills. He also remembered there were two of them and something about his father taking bets.

Jared knocked on the door and a woman dressed in clothes that were decades too young for her answered. She had a cigarette hanging out of her mouth and a cup of coffee in her hand. She opened the screen door for him.

"It ain't any cooler in here, but you'll be out of the sun," she said.

"You know who I am?" Jared stepped in.

"How hard did those boys hit you?" She laughed fill a glass from the tap and putting it down in front of him. "Yeah I know you ... You're Billy's boy, Jared."

"I'm sorry, I don't remember ..."

"Nah, you wouldn't. I got there and you were already six shots down on the Tequila bottle. I'm Nancy." She slammed the aspirin bottle down in front of him. "I'll make you some eggs but you have to shower first - or at least hose off. Come on, I got some clothes of Billy's that are clean enough."

"Oh ... Dad ... he hit the tree."

"The tree's had worse and lived to tell about it, but he may have finally totaled that truck."

"I couldn't wake him up."

"He'll be along, don't worry." She nodded. "Bathroom is through there; just toss your clothes out the window."

Jared stared down the hall and turned back. He raised his hands to show her his injuries.

"Hydrogen peroxide is in the medicine cabinet."

"What happened?"

"What happened?" she laughed. "You were tuned up by the twins - Teddy and Tommy MacKenzie. They just got back from a third tour in Afghanistan. Marines - through and through. They're headed back in a week. They weren't impressed with your navy credentials."

Jared winced. "Oh - my wallet? Phone? Keys?"

"All down at the bar in the safe. I'm sure your money is gone by now, but the rest is safe."

Jared turned and proceeded down the hall way.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Maggie sat by Tara's bed with her hand over Tara's. Tara wasn't conscious. She had slipped into a coma that morning and they were making arrangements to take her to the hospital. Maggie fought back the tears as she murmured apologies to her grandmother for being too long in getting home.

Brennan walked in with CJ in her arms. She noticed right away that she was intruding so she turned to leave.

"You don't have to go," Maggie said with cracking voice. "Nothing going on here."

"I'm sorry," Brennan said although she didn't know why she should be sorry. Apparently it was custom to say that when people were sad about something.

"You got nothing to be sorry for."

Brennan realized she was sorry for her. "I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to speak with her again. There is very little hope that she will regain consciousness." The last part was a little harsh, but Brennan's voice was calming, almost maternal. She had no idea where it came from, but when she looked at Maggie; broken, sad, crying; she wanted to protect her. To help her. Maybe her maternal instinct finally kicked in. Maybe Booth was right all those years ago, maybe having a baby made her more personable with people.

"Yeah, well ... it ain't nothing. This is how I remember her anyway ... passed out flat on her back. Every day when I came home from school I found her on the floor in the kitchen or living room or hell - in the car, passed out." She wiped at her eyes. "But when she was sober - well she never really was sober, but there were times when she was less drunk, she was really good to me. She'd do my hair. Or fix one of her old dresses so it fit me. Sometimes we would read books. And she'd make me pancakes or spaghetti and we would talk about what we would do if we were rich." Maggie stroked Tara hand. "She always wanted to go to Hawaii. One year I got a bunch of posters from the Travel Shop downtown and put 'em up all around her bedroom. She liked that." Her face grew dark and stormy. "Billy ripped them down."

"It sounds very lonely," Brennan said with as much empathy as she had.

"Yeah, well ... whatever, right? We all come from somewhere and we are all going somewhere else." She leaned back and looked at Brennan. "You probably came from Mom, Dad, two-point-five, with a dog and a picket fence. You're biggest worry was telling Mom you got a A- instead of an A+ on your science project."

Brennan nodded but not in agreement. She nodded to give herself permission to disclose information that she normally kept to herself. "My parents abandoned me when I was fifteen. I found out several years ago that my real name is not Temperance Brennan and that my parents were bank robbers. My brother couldn't take care of me after my parents were gone, so he left too. I was in ten foster care homes in three years. Finally a man came claiming to be my grandfather and took custody of me. It was six weeks before my eighteenth birthday. He wasn't my grandfather but at least he was nice and he helped me get into school. He died in my freshman year."

"Alone again, eh? Yeah, been there, done that, got the t-shirt." She tried to catch Brennan's eye but Brennan was focused on CJ. "You missed a bit there, Doc." Maggie leaned back and studied Brennan. "Three years and ten foster families - bet there are some stories to tell there."

"A period in my life I worked hard to forget."

"But you don't forget, do you? You never forget." Brennan didn't understand. "I'm asking ... you are older than me ... tell me, do you forget?"

Brennan looked at her earnest young face that had seen far too many troubles in her short twenty-two years. "No, you don't ever forget."

Maggie didn't like that answer but shook it off just like all the bad news she got in life. If you don't let it, it can't get to you. "Well you turned out pretty good ... there's hope for me ... maybe."

"Anthropologically speaking, I am an anomaly." She said a little too defensively. "My intelligence helped me to pursue forensic science, has raised me to the top in my field and has allowed me to write books which also increased my income and allowed me to live as I choose."

"Yeah, well, I ain't no genius."

Brennan didn't want to sound patronizing but she felt she had to say something. "You're probably smarter than you give yourself credit for. You clearly have street smarts," she smiled. "That's what Booth calls common sense and that is invaluable. It can't be taught."

"Oh it's taught, lady ... it sure as hell is taught," she stated. "Maneuvering your way through drunk and abusive parents, oh yeah ... you hone some skills REAL FAST." She started to pull a cigarette out but remembered where she was. "Doesn't matter though. Street smarts are only good if you live in the streets."

"Which you don't have to do anymore," Brennan said. "You're a wealthy woman and if you are wise about how you use your money, you can live a very comfortable life. Maybe go back to school."

"No good in school ... but I get your meaning." Maggie wanted to tell Brennan something, something important but she wasn't sure. "So ... what's the worst thing that happened to you with your foster families?"

Brennan studied her for a moment. "The Carlson's locked me in the trunk of a car for two days for breaking a dish."

Maggie paused for a long moment looking at Brennan. "That wasn't the worst thing that happened to you," she stated unequivocally. "I mean it's bad ... it sucks ... those people are sick and twisted, but it wasn't the worst."

Maggie was right; it wasn't. Usually it was all Brennan had to say to get people to stop asking. She wasn't sure why, but it made people uncomfortable to hear that anecdote. Brennan shook her head agreeing with Maggie. She proceeded to tell Maggie about Bob and Janet Lindquist. She was with them for her sixteenth birthday. It was a story she never told anyone, ever. It was the one she worked hardest to forget.

When Brennan was done Maggie came over and sat next to her. Maggie looked down and studied her dirty, nicotine stained hands for a long moment. She looked back up at Brennan who was waiting patiently still holding CJ in her arms. "People suck," Maggie said. Brennan didn't argue. Then Maggie told her a story about Billy Booth and his boys down at the shop that explained a lot about why Maggie hated him so much.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth walked into the Overtime bar. It was pitch black compared to the bright sunshine outside. It stunk of stale beer, cigarettes and fried food. Booth noticed right away that there was broken glass on the floor, several tables were over turned and there were broken chairs stacked up in the corner. If he didn't know better he would have said there had been a brawl in there the night before.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI," the bartender called over to him.

"You know me?"

"I was expecting you - a lot of us were."

"Who are you and who was us?"

"I'm Danny Yaccarino and us are some of the regulars."

"Guess my reputation precedes me."

"And your brother." Danny looked around. "Some of your boy's handiwork. Of course it was mostly Tommy and Teddy. Not the first time they've busted up this place."

"You are Maggie's Danny."

"Wouldn't let her hear you say that, but yeah Maggie and I are friends from a long way back. Where is she?"

"She's with her grandmother."

"She's in a bad way."

"So I understand." Booth looked around. "So, can you tell me where my brother is?"

"Well he's probably nursing a hangover over at your dad's place."

"His car out front?" Booth noticed the car with New Mexico plates before he came in. He assumed it was the rental that Jared had gotten in Albuquerque. It was a pretty safe bet.

"Yeah." Danny reached behind the bar and handed a bag to Booth. "Watch, keys, wallet, cell phone. We took out for his bar bill and half of what he broke."

"Half? Shouldn't Tommy and Teddy each pay a third?"

Danny smiled. "Never thought of it like that ... sure sure ... He pulled forty bucks out of the till. "Here."

Booth started to leave but turned back to Danny. "You're a friend of Maggie's -."

"She should get the hell out of town before Billy can get his hooks into her." He frowned. "Sorry, man. I know he's your dad and all, but Billy is a bastard."

"Right." Booth was not about to find out about his father from a bartender who didn't look old enough to be drinking much less serving.

"Hey man, you gonna help Mags with that guy in Austin?"

"Guy in Austin?"

"She didn't tell you about the guy? He thinks she stole his stash ... pretty big too ... he'll be looking for her."

"Did she?"

"You don't know Mags. She doesn't like drugs. She wouldn't take 'em. But she knows who did."

"Right ... right ... of course ... so, which way to my dad's place?"

Danny waved him off in the right direction.

Booth found his way pretty quickly. Saw the truck wrapped around the tree. He saw the blood - his FBI skills kicked into gear. He started working it like a crime scene. No body so Bones wouldn't be needed yet; but he knew there was stuff that Hogins' could have told him that he really didn't want to know. There was blood on the front seat too. He continued on up to the house. He was about ten feet from the door when Billy burst through the screen. His remedy to a hangover was to start drinking again - a little hair of the dog. In this case it was more than a little.

"Seeley - my boy - now we have ourselves a family reunion."

Jared stepped out on to the steps and looked over at Booth. He looked a little shamed but he was still fighting with the pounding in his head.

"Jared?" Booth called. "Ok?"

"OK," he called back.

"Did you bring Margaret back," Billy asked.

"Where are your manners?" Nancy blasted through the screen door at the sight of Booth. "Invite the man in," she scanned him up and down lustily. "Seeley, so good to finally meet the other of Billy's boys. He is so proud of you two." She placed her hand on Jared's shoulder and rubbed a little too familiarly and then turned her attention to Booth. "Come on in. I'll get you some coffee and I have some apple pie."

"Seeley doesn't eat pie," Billy exclaimed. "Said he didn't like his fruit cooked."

Booth fixed Billy with a glare that should have ground him into the dirt. "Times change, Dad. People change. Tastes change. It's evolution. But I think in your case, evolution has passed you by."

"Now, now boys. It is too hot to be spatting outside. Come in."

Jared waited for Booth to move. Booth was watching Billy. It was a battle of wills who would move first. Booth did. He followed Nancy into the house. Jared followed him and Billy reluctantly came after.


	16. Chapter 16

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written April 2011**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth and Jared exchanged a few glances across the table as Nancy prattled on about whatever she was prattling on about - the heat, homemade vs. store-bought pies and something else but no one was listening. Jared was waiting for Booth's reproof, a reproof that Booth had no intention of giving. Jared figured it would come when they were alone, and was working up his defense, maybe even a good offense. He wouldn't need either. Booth had no intention berating Jared for whatever occurred the night before. Jared was a big boy and could clean up his own mess. When Booth caught up with his father years ago, Booth had his own juvenile reaction. It cost him a lot of money and nearly killed any chance he had at promotion at the FBI. Caroline saved his butt back then; and she didn't shame him … much and never brought it up again. Booth continued to learn lessons from his lost friend and mentor.

Billy sat back glaring at Booth. He was done with Jared. As per usually Jared was fun to play with for a few hours but he was too easy; like shooting fish in a barrel. St. Seeley was and always had been a harder nut to crack. It was dangerous bringing an FBI agent into his life, but Billy was banking on Booth's blind hatred to keep him from doing his job. Of course, Billy had never _banked_ on Booth showing up in Prescott or showing an interest in Margaret. The best he could hope for at the moment was to get Booth out of town as quickly as possible. Number two son figured into that plan. Booth always protected Jared and would remove him from the situation as soon as he could; it shouldn't be any different now.

"So," Billy snapped shutting Nancy's babbling down. "Margaret?"

Booth turned his attention to Billy. What struck him the most, more this time than in his office was how little Billy was. He was actually about two or three inches shorter than Booth, sick thin and gray; just plain gray. He had no muscle mass; would probably have a tough time opening a jar of pickles. He still had all his bluster, but he would blow over in a strong wind.

"Guess you aren't working the program anymore," Booth observed.

"The stress of losing Tara and Margaret being missing just got to me," he said without missing a beat.

Booth shot Nancy a quick look. "Condolences on Tara." He shifted his position to face Billy. "I understand she has slipped into a coma and will probably not make it through the night."

Billy clearly hadn't heard that news.

"They're moving her to the hospital."

"Great, wonder how much that will cost me?"

Everyone was uncomfortable with that comment, but no one said anything.

Booth got a call. He moved to the other side of the room but not out of earshot. Nothing much could be overheard just a lot of yeahs, rights and thank yous. He came back and sat down. He looked like he had been given some important information. "What is it you want from Maggie, excuse me Margaret?" Booth voice was cold and hard.

"Just to make sure she is safe." He swallowed hard. "So she is with Tara?"

Booth didn't agree or disagree with his statement. "What else do you want from her?"

"We have some family business, Seeley," he said as if Booth were not related. "You know, personal."

"I've hired a lawyer for her," he stated. "Wilkins, Josh Wilkins out of Phoenix. You can send all your 'business' through him."

Billy snorted a laugh. "We don't need to drag lawyers into this, Seeley. It's not really your concern."

"You made it my concern when you asked me to help you find Maggie. Maggie made it my concern when she asked me to help her." Booth's phone beeped indicating he had received a text message. He read it and smiled. He looked back up at Billy. "You have no business here, Dad," he said coldly. "This is not your house, not your land … you have no claim to it."

"No claim? I have been paying the mortgage for the past twenty-five years."

Booth smiled. "The house was paid off when you … moved in. Any mortgage you have been paying is money you took illegal loans against."

"Are you going to arrest me?" Billy asked. "I had to take those loans to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. This is my house … all of it, I deserve. I have earned it."

Booth shook his head.

"Come on Seeley – there is no reason to bring the law into it," Jared stated. "I'm sure Maggie and Dad can work something out without lawyers and cops."

"No need for lawyers, Jared. But the cops can come and evict him at Maggie's say so."

"Is she here?" Billy demanded. "Is she with Tara?"

"What are you really worried about Dad? Are you worried about everyone finding out that you never married Tara?"

"WHAT?" Nancy exclaimed. "You said -."

"Common law, Seeley." Billy shut Nancy up. "We've been together longer than I was with your mother."

Billy should not have brought up Booth's mom. "You legally married my mother," Booth stated.

"To give you a name, boy," he shouted back. "I got saddled with my brother's bastard – hell he wasn't even my brother, he was my half brother - and I got nothing to show for it." Billy was undoubtedly hoping that the shock of hearing the truth of his lineage would affect Booth in some way. It didn't.

Jared on the other hand was shocked and confused. "Seeley, what the hell -."

"You abandoned your family," Booth pressed. "Long before you left, you did nothing but cause my mother pain."

"Pops kicked me out!" he justified. "Said you would be better off without me. I saw a way out and took it."

"Yes you did. And we were better off without you. And so will Maggie."

"Seeley!" Jared tried to interject.

"I have rights here, boy," Billy shouted.

"No, Dad, you don't," he said calmly. "Common law marriages are not recognized in Arizona. Should have done your home work."

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Billy tried with as much bluster as he could muster.

"Giving you another out, Dad." Booth waived at the door. "Pack your shit and get out."

"You can't say that to me - you can't tell me what to do, boy." He grinned. "You have no jurisdiction."

"I am a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation – I have jurisdiction all over the United States. And if I don't – the DEA does."

"DEA?" Billy stood up quickly and knocked over his chair.

Booth stood to meet him eye to eye. He had played enough poker in his life to know when he had successfully called someone's bluff. "The call I got was from my friend Sam at the DEA … we were in the Gulf together. Tells me a pretty good story about a William Booth out of Prescott, Arizona. Guess this person has his hands in a lot of the distribution of meth in the southwest – Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada. Strictly small potatoes in the grand scheme of things, but the DEA would still like to get him behind bars. Some information they were just given has broken that case wide open. It will lead to some major cookers in Jerome, Flagstaff and Phoenix – nasty people. They are going to be pretty pissed off."

"What information?" Billy demanded to know.

"Reliable information," Booth restated.

"Anything that little bitch told you is a lie," Billy exclaimed.

"Seeley, what the hell are you doing?" Jared asked jumping to his feet.

"I'm giving Dad here a chance to get out while the getting is good," he said calmly.

"You'd arrest your own father?" Nancy pleaded.

"In case you weren't paying attention Nancy," Billy snarled. "I'm not his father." He glared at Booth. "You are really enjoying this aren't you? Bet you have been waiting years to do this."

Booth shook his head. "If this were my end game, I would have played this card years ago. Probably should have, would have saved Maggie from suffering your _guardianship_."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about."

Booth had had enough. He needed to spill what he knew. "I know you used Maggie like a mule from the time she was a baby sticking your shit in her diaper bag until she could carry it herself. I know you tried to get her hooked on crack when she was fourteen or fifteen. And I know you passed her around to your friends like she was a party favor."

Jared looked back at his father in horror. Could his father really be that despicable? "Dad?"

"Stories, Jared," Billy claimed. "Stories from a screwed up kid playing on Seeley's feelings for me None of this is true."

Jared looked to Nancy. Her face told the whole story. It was true and probably more.

"You did it with her mother too, didn't you? That's how Shauna died. She was high as a kite and doing a run for you."

"She was drunk and ran off the road."

"Tell me Dad, do you have any idea who Maggie's father is?" Booth barked. "Is it you?"

"Get off your high horse, St Seeley."

Booth looked at Jared. "We got off easy. Let's get out of here."

Jared had already moved toward the door. He was done with his father.

"You have twenty-four hours, Dad, to get out of town. If you are still here when the DEA arrives, I won't help you even if I could."

"Where do you expect me to go, Seeley? I'm an old man."

"Don't care," Booth said caustically. "You can crawl under a rock for all I care." He looked to Nancy. "You will need to be out of here too."

Booth turned his back and moved toward the door. Billy lunged at him. Jared balled up his fists and landed a punch to the jaw, another to the stomach and swung his foot around to take Billy's legs out from under him. Billy was on the floor before he knew he had been hit.

Booth looked at Jared. "Feel better?"

"I do, I really do." He was shaking out his hand which was still injured from the night before.

The Booth boys left. Nancy looked around and decided there was nothing she wanted. She grabbed her purse and followed them out. Billy was still nursing his jaw as he saw them all drive away.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Tara never made it to the hospital. She did however open her eyes for just a moment; long enough to see Maggie's face. She mouthed the words 'I'm sorry.' Maggie nodded. Tara's eyes fluttered closed again and within moments she was gone. It was for the best. Brennan had witnessed several deaths of people who had been removed from life support and allowed to die with the aid of morphine. Sometimes it could go on for hours and it was very painful to watch.

"I want her cremated," Maggie stated to anyone who would listen. "I want her cremated and I want to take her ashes to Hawaii."

"OK," Brennan said as if she were the one in charge and could make it happen.

Brennan had been with Maggie all day. She had talked to Booth before he found his brother and father and told him all that Maggie had told her with Maggie's permission. It was abbreviated but it was enough for Booth to know what cards to play.

Danny and Mrs. Yaccarino came to the hospice about an hour before Tara was gone and stayed in the waiting room. When Maggie came out, Mrs. Yaccarino wrapped her up in a tight embraced and held her. Maggie didn't want to cry, but she really needed to be held.

"You're too skinny," Mrs. Yaccarino claimed. "Come home with me and let me take care of you."

Maggie looked at Brennan. Brennan nodded. She hadn't heard from Booth yet, but was confident that he would accomplish his goal. Booth and Brennan didn't discuss the particulars or what the details would be, but they both knew that Booth would do what it took to ensure that Billy would leave Maggie alone. After what was disclosed to her that day, Brennan was grateful that she would never have to see Billy Booth again.

"We will be staying in the hotel tonight and will leave sometime tomorrow. " They had an early flight from Phoenix on Monday AM that would get them to San Diego and hour before Parker arrived. They had wanted to be in San Diego on Sunday night but would push it to as late as possible to make sure that Maggie was OK. "You have Booth's cell number and mine and now you have a phone." They had gotten her one of those prepaid phones. "Booth will want to know where you are," she said hesitantly.

Danny pulled out something from his wallet and handed it to Brennan. It was a deposit slip, but it had his address on it. "We are there. Don't worry; we'll take care of her."

There was some paperwork to finish but Maggie and her surrogate family was on their way pretty quickly. Brennan of course was stuck at the hospice with no car. She called a cab to take her to the hotel.

Booth hadn't checked in yet. Brennan got them a two bedroom suite in case Jared needed a place to stay. It really wasn't a suite so much as it was a deluxe room and the room next door with an adjoining door. She fed, bathed and changed CJ and put in down in a makeshift crib. She had to be cramped in the carrier. Brennan wanted to shower and change but chose to wait for Booth. She was still reluctant to let CJ out of her sight. It was not long before Booth called to tell her he was on the way with Jared assuring her that all was as expected. She updated him on Tara and Maggie.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth and Jared each drove a car back to the hotel which meant they couldn't talk. Booth got a couple of keys from the front desk and handed one to Jared.

"Seeley, we have to talk," Jared stated.

"We do – about a lot of things. And we will." He put his hand on Jared's shoulder. "But right now I need to see Bones and my daughter, OK?" He let go of him and rang for the elevator. "I'm sure Padme would love to hear from you, too."

"Yeah." Jared looked worried about what he would tell her or rather how he would tell her.

"Give me an hour and we'll meet and talk, OK?"

"Yeah, sure." He didn't look as defeated as he felt. "Seeley …"

"Jared, we're good. You and me. We're good. I love you … you're my brother, I love you." He smiled and pulled Jared into a brotherly embrace. "You could really use a shower, man."

"Yeah … and something to eat … and a good night's sleep."

"We'll meet for food in an hour or so, OK? We'll talk until we are done talking, OK?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Nothing has changed between us – for my part. Nothing has changed."

"Well, I got my eyes opened and I really didn't like what I saw." He looked back at Booth. "And I am a little pissed at you."

"You shouldn't be … but if you are, we'll talk about that too. OK? We're good?"

Jared nodded.

"Say it."

"We're good."

The elevator arrived. Booth wrapped a playful arm around his little brother and dragged him into the car ringing for their floor.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Brennan was sitting on the balcony – one eye on the view another on her sleeping daughter. For all the talk about the heat, she liked the weather in Prescott. Booth came up behind her, squatted down and wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "Hi," he mumbled into her neck.

"Hi," she returned waiting for him to release so she could give him a proper embrace.

"Love you," he said with his face still buried in her neck.

"Love you too," she said on cue but meaning it. She put her hand on his arm. "Booth?"

"Where's my girl?" He let go and turned to find CJ. He sat down next to her but didn't want to disturb her. "Everything OK?"

"Yes," she said. "Should probably wake her up shortly so she won't be up all night."

"Maggie?"

"With the Yaccarino's." She didn't want to ask, but she had to. "Billy?"

"If he knows what's good for him, he's beating feet out of town. DEA will be here tomorrow."

"Booth, are you OK?"

"Yes," he said reaching out to stroke his daughter's soft tawny locks. "I think she looks like you more than me." He didn't want to talk about it yet.

"Booth, there is no question about her parentage."

He looked up at her and reached his hand out to her. "I never thought there was." He pulled her down on the floor next to him and spooned up behind her. "How many more of these do you want?"

"Those what?"

"Children … babies … we aren't stopping at one, are we?"

"At the moment, one is sufficient." She turned to him. "You have another child."

"I'd like one more – at least - but I want to wait until we are married and go through it the traditional way."

"Can we talk about that later?"

"As long as it's a discussion."

"Yes, of course. Still a little unbalanced from the events of the past week. I don't want to make decisions like that just yet."

He rolled her the rest of the way over so she was on her back and he was leaning over her. "Let's see if we can do something about your balance." He kissed enclosing her in a very loving embrace.

She slowly opened her eyes to look deeply into his. "I like kissing you," she disclosed. "You are an excellent kisser."

"Ya, think?"

"I said as much."

"No one has ever told me that before." He was sorry he said that as soon as the thought was formed and he knew he was not going to be able to reel the words back in. "But your opinion is the only one who matters."

She smiled. "Nice save, Booth."

"How about if I just kiss you again?" He didn't wait for her permission. He laughed in the middle. "Now I'm self-conscious knowing that you are rating my kisses."

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know … female, you don't need a reason." He looked back at CJ who had started to stir. "Thanks for getting Jared a room."

"Sure. Family."

"He's pretty messed up about all of this." Booth proceeded to tell her the details of what he knew and what he thought he knew from the night before.

"Will you two be OK?"

"Yeah, but it will take a little trust building. We have dinner in a bit, will you be ready?"

"Do you want me to come?"

"Of course … wherever I go, you go, OK? I would have taken you with me today, but I didn't want CJ anywhere near that man and I thought you could be more help to Maggie."

"I understand."

"How did you get Maggie to open up to you?" He was impressed and proud that she did.

She smiled and shifted her position so she could look up at him. "First lesson you ever taught me … in order to get information out of people you need to offer up a little bit of yourself."

He kissed her forehead and smiled brightly. "What did you offer up?"

Her whole body tensed. "I told her about the Linquists," she said softly.

He wrapped her in a very tight embrace and held her. Booth knew all about the Lindquists. He learned about it one of those nights before CJ was born. They were in bed, talking over little things: hopes, dreams, what they wanted for their daughter. Booth innocently asked Brennan how she chose to be a forensic anthropologist. He thought it had to do with her parents; that's what she had always said. This time she told him the story of her sixteenth birthday.

She had been with Bob and Janet Lindquist for a month. They were a nice enough couple. He was a dentist and she was a checker at the local supermarket. They were getting by financially. They couldn't have children and they weren't approved to adopt so they fostered kids. Janet suggested that she and Brennan make a cake together when she got home from work. It seemed very domestic and nice. Probably the nicest foster mother she had. Brennan was home in her bedroom doing her homework. She heard Janet come home and went down to greet her. Bob came in right after that. They pulled out all the stuff to make the cake and set to work. They would frost it after dinner and watch a movie and eat cake. Then all hell broke loose. Three men wearing hoods burst through the back door wielding knives and guns. Bob came in from the living room and tried to get them to leave. He was hit in the head with a pistol and was knocked unconscious. One man that smelled like cleaning solution tied Brennan to a chair in the kitchen, gagged her and told her to 'wait her turn like a good little girl'. They dragged Janet to the living room upsetting the furniture. She screamed until they gagged her too. Brennan could see that she continued to fight as each one had a turn with her. Then they cut her throat and wrote foul words on the wall. The blood seemed to excite them. They turned to Brennan. Bob was coming to and was able to engage one of the boys before he was shot and killed. They dragged him to the living room, stripped him naked and positioned him over his dead wife and laughed. Brennan felt sick to her stomach.

Attention again turned to Brennan. The one who had tied her up adjusted his hood enough for her to see that he was blonde and had a tattoo on his neck. They cut her ropes loose and dragged her up to her bedroom spewing all kinds of disgusting comments. Brennan fought as hard as a naïve sixteen year old could fight – she didn't have the defensive moves she would have in later years. She was slammed into the wall several times to get her to stop fighting which she didn't. One man held her arms, another a leg, the third – the blonde with the tattoo was ready to take her. Police sirens were heard coming up the street. Evidently the neighbor had called 911 at the sound of the gun shot – not in time to save Bob and Janet. The shorter man, the one with the gun, wanted to kill her. The tattooed blonde said that she didn't know anything and told them to leave her alone. The men scattered into the woods behind the house leaving Brennan cowering in her bedroom under a blanket.

The police contaminated the scene and pretty much destroyed any forensic evidence that could be found to discover who the men were. There was no arrest made, no leads discovered, nothing. What Brennan saw, what she knew was completely disregarded. Yet again, a crime with no answers and no one looking for them. It was at that time that she decided that she would go into the forensics field. The drive was tempered as she studied anthropology, but it was always there. She never considered going into the field, dealing with anything other than the science of the scene. It took Booth to get her to want to go. With a new baby she wondered if she really wanted to go back.

"You Ok?" Booth asked making small circles on her back.

"I'm fine," she said pulling out of his embrace. "Maggie had a pretty horrific life at the hands of Billy Booth."

"Yes, she did."

"I want to help her, Booth."

"We are, Bones." He sat up next to her. "We are." He held her hand for a moment. He didn't want to leave to talk to Jared, but he needed to. "You going to be OK?"

"Yeah, I'd like to take a shower then you can go talk to Jared."

"You aren't coming?"

"Probably something the Booth boys need to do by themselves. But I would appreciate it if you didn't stay out too late."

"Hour, hour and a half, tops," he said. "You'll order room service?"

"Yes, I need a drink," she said implying that she didn't want to drink in front of Jared.

"Go take a shower and let me order dinner for you."

"How do you know what I want?" She pulled herself to standing.

"Really Bones, after all these years, you don't think I know your every thought."

She leaned over and kissed him. It was a hurry back kiss.

"Heard that too … sixty minutes – tops." He grinned.

"Good."

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**


	17. Chapter 17

**Return Engagement**

**By LizD**

**Written April/May 2011**

**Chapter Seventeen**

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Billy Booth was nowhere to be found the next day at noon when DEA showed up. Also gone was eighteen hundred dollars - the entirety of Nancy's sock-drawer-rainy-day money - and her '91 Honda Civic with no air conditioning. Nancy claimed to have no knowledge and genuinely seemed pretty pissed off. However, Brennan noticed that she was favoring her right side and wore long sleeves in a hundred degree heat which led Booth to conclude that Nancy knew more than she was saying but was also grateful that Billy was gone.

The car made it as far as Green Valley, about forty minutes south of Tucson. It was discovered by a State Trooper abandoned with the engine seized. There was one report of an old man getting picked up by a trucker head south, but it was unconfirmed. It appeared that Billy was making a run for the border. Regardless he was gone from Prescott – for the time being.

~!~

Other DEA agents were descending on Austin and had taken Maggie's other little problem into custody. The Austin connection was a much bigger fish to catch. Her testimony would be very critical and she was offered Witness Protection. She accepted after much debate; Brennan convinced her it was the perfect way to start a new life. She would legally get a new name, a new job and a new place to live. She would be free and clear of her old life. Maggie saw that wisdom in that.

~!~

Maggie stayed with the Yaccarino's for a few days pending Tara's cremation. She made contact with the lawyer Booth secured for her in Phoenix and arranged to turn the house over to the bank. There was just enough equity to make it a clean break. Not a good deal for the bank but Maggie really didn't care. She would get out of it free and clear but nothing ahead. The lawyer also contacted the trust and arranged to have that released to her. WITSEC determined there was no reason she couldn't take the money with her. Of course they had to liquidate that account and place it in another that couldn't lead back to her. Maggie was a rich woman and free to do what she wanted. After much debate with her handlers, her first order of business was to take Tara's remains to Hawaii to be spread and she thought she would stay. The Marshalls weren't happy, but it was arranged. Maggie was going to paradise with a clean slate and money in her pockets. She was very grateful to Booth and Brennan but was told that she would have to several all ties with them. It was a bitter sweet victory, but a victory nonetheless.

~!~

Booth and Jared had a good conversation at dinner. It was stiff at first. Jared was pretty pissed off that so much had been kept him. Booth fell back on saying that he was protecting him when he was a kid and after they grew up their relationship had been at such odds that it really didn't matter. Of course the 'you never asked' defense was used quite a bit too. Jared accepted that and eventually came to apologize for letting Booth carry this weight all by himself. In the end, the truth of their lineage may have made them biologically half brothers, but they were closer than they ever had been.

Jared's step off the wagon was a one night thing. He was goaded by his father - as he always had been even after he was gone. But he stepped right back on. He was happy with Padme just as they were. He was grateful that Booth was in his life and that they lived so close. And he was convinced he would find a job that would utilize and enhance his skills. He was a changed man when Booth put him on the plane that Sunday afternoon. He had cleaned out his closets of those old skeletons. He felt lighter and more complete than he ever had in his life. Of course his final request was for Big Brother Seeley to stop protecting him and to give him all the information he should have. Booth agreed. The last thing Jared said to Booth was, "Marry that woman, Seeley. You need her." Booth confirmed that that was the plan.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Booth, Brennan, CJ and Parker had a great week in San Diego - the zoo, Sea World, the Wild Animal Park. Jared had called a friend who was stationed in San Diego and they got to tour of an aircraft carrier and a submarine that were docked there. That was the best part for Parker - well that and the time he got to swim in the pool with Booth, Brennan and CJ. Parker really liked being part of a real family. Rebecca was a great mother but found it very hard to commit to a man in any long term way. The men in her life always seemed to be leaving. Booth and Brennan were solid - as far as Parker was concerned they always had been. The months the Booth and Brennan partnership was severed, Parker still went to the Jeffersonian and got to see her, the only difference was that his father was not there. Parker took it in stride, didn't question one about the other and pretended that nothing had changed between them. He didn't need to do that anymore.

It was Parker who pressed Brennan about getting married. His logic was sound. He wanted to introduce her to his friends as his step-mother, not his dad's partner or girlfriend. His final reason was that he wanted CJ to be part of an official family - something he never got. Brennan wondered if Booth put him up to it, but she chose to believe that he didn't.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

Things got back to normal in the month of August. By normal it was back to what it was before they ever separated. Brennan was back in the lab and had taken over from Clark at Clark's request. He had been asked to head up a special project and needed to cut his hours back. Brennan did leave the lab quite a bit to go into the field with Booth, but there was always some very reasonable rationale. Cam didn't question it. The FBI either didn't notice or didn't care and Sweets - for once - kept his mouth shut.

They hired a nanny - Sally Smithers. There was an extensive background check, a psyche eval and references were scoured. Most Supreme Court nominees had fewer hurdles to clear. She was fifty-seven and a kindergarten teacher who had been lain off due to budget cuts. She was not interested in Booth sexually or Brennan for that matter - it was suggested that she batted for the other team, but no one asked and no one told. She was fascinated by Booth and Brennan's work and found the prospect of taking care of CJ at the Jeffersonian a dream come true. She was also a grandmother and knew all about infants, toddlers and teenagers. She quickly became a member of the family - the big sister that neither Booth nor Brennan had in real life but desperately needed. If she had been there years before, a lot of the drama could have been avoided. Of course they didn't need a nanny years before.

The search was on for a new place to live. They opted for a Townhouse or Condo with four bedrooms rather than a single family home with a yard. Originally Booth had a romantic notion that he would be the Papa and do the yard work and a lot of repairs around the home. Brennan reasoned him out of it - it didn't take much. Parker's only request was that it had a pool. Booth and Brennan both wanted on site security and a weight room - if wishes were horses. They had narrowed it down to two and would be making their decision soon and expected to move in by the end of September.

Things were good - very good.

Booth didn't bring up the wedding and neither did Brennan.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

"He is so cute with CJ," Angela said striding into the bone room. "When are you going to make an honest man out of him?"

"Who? Booth?" Brennan puzzled. "Why do you believe he's not honest? You have known Booth for years and know him to be truthful, fair and just. He has more integrity than -"

"It's a saying Sweetie." She shook her head. "It's another way of asking when you two are getting married."

"So married implies honesty? In light of the rate of adultery and divorce in this society, I can't see your logic."

"Just roll with it," she encouraged. "Didn't you tell me that he asked you and you agreed?"

"We talked about it," Brennan said staying focused on her work. "But he hasn't brought it up again."

"It's up to you to pick a day and make it happen, Bren."

"Why? Why should it fall to the female?"

Angela cocked her head and put her hand on her hip. "Why is it that you know the tiniest detail of marriage custom of a long extinct tribe in Outer Mongolia but you don't have a clue what happens in your own backyard?"

Brennan tried to avoid eye contact but had a tiny smile on her lips.

"WHOA HO ... So you do know. ... You have been playing us all these years?" She laughed heartily. "Oh my God ... you little ... little ... little liar. You vixen. You big teaser. You have been having fun at our expense, haven't you? Well, my oh my ... Dr. Brennan I think I have finally seen through your facade. I'm on to you."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You do too. You always have. Does Booth know?"

"Angela," Brennan started to scold.

"So he doesn't ... the more fool he."

"Dishonest and a fool? Do you have such a low opinion of Booth?"

She shook her head and stepped closer to Brennan. "I need to ask ... it has been nagging at me for some time now. When you and Booth are ... you know ... doing it ... do you call out _Booth_ or is there some pet name you have for him and if so what is it?"

"I will not discuss my intimate relations with you."

Angela nodded. "So no pet names. Hmmm. Please tell me you call him something just so he knows that you know who you are doing it with."

"We are both very aware of who we are with ... sexually and we both find the experience quite gratifying."

"Always knew you would," she laughed. "So pick a date, Bren. You've never been so happy."

"So why should things change? I'm fully committed to the relationship and we have a child together I know we will be making that a priority for the rest of our lives."

Angela got very serious. "Brennan, I don't need to tell you this but if you are going to pretend that you don't know it or have never heard it, let me be the first. Booth is a marrying man. He is a one-woman-for-life kind of guy. He wants someone he can rely on through thick and thin - someone he can build a life with. He has been looking for that woman for a long time. He found that woman in you - and you broke his heart. And he tried to find it with Reporter Barbie and we all know what happened there. She strung him a long until he couldn't take it anymore. You finally got a second chance - the both of you. Don't do this to him - don't make him feel like he's not good enough - because you know you can't do any better. You love him; you expect to be with him for the rest of your life. Make it legal in the eyes of society - you're not promising anything you haven't already promised. This is not a situation where you want to dig your heels in. Marry him - in front of friends and family. Wear a pretty dress, put a ring on his finger, and call him your husband, your life partner, you soul mate - really doesn't matter what name you put on it. Let him make the same vow to you. It's what Booth wants and it's a custom of your culture. OK?"

Brennan nodded. Angela made some reasonable arguments. The most important of which was that Brennan didn't want to do to Booth what Hannah had. She would not string him along.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

In early September, literally a year to the day from that fateful night when CJ was conceived, Brennan called just before lunch to ask Booth to meet her for dinner. They had just closed a case; they typically would have gone to Founding Fathers or home for their post-case drink. Brennan still wasn't drinking but she liked the tradition even if she had to have soda water or juice. He agreed and she gave him an address and told him to meet her there at seven-thirty. It was implied that their lunch was canceled. They found that they could leave a lot of things implied without any negative repercussions.

Booth thought nothing of swapping one meal for another, no big deal. She was probably busy, he was busy – whatever – lunch, dinner it didn't matter just as long as they had at least thirty minutes of uninterrupted time together. He didn't recognize the address of the restaurant and she hadn't given him the name, but he would find it later. It wasn't a thing.

As the day wore on and the paperwork he was doing was getting increasingly more tedious he let his mind wander to Brennan and the idea of dinner out with his … well whatever she was he enjoyed her company. It wasn't going to be grabbing a bite at the diner with his partner or sharing a salad at Founding Fathers with his significant other. It was an actual dinner – appetizers, dessert, maybe even a nice bottle of wine. The idea became more than just distraction. By four o'clock he found he could think of little else. Suddenly it felt like a date. He was sorry he hadn't come up with the idea himself. He made a mental note to do that more often – date Brennan. The way their relationship had evolved they had missed a lot of the normal niceties of new couples. He had a private hope that Brennan had arranged for Angela and Hodgins to take CJ for the night and then we would have more than a couple of hours. It was a Friday, after all.

Things were good. Things were great. He had no regrets. Since San Diego, he was really enjoying his downtime with her. It was the first time in their history that they were together for more than a meal or an event that did not include something work or baby related. One fear he had many years ago was that if there were no work between them they would have nothing to say to each other. He needn't have worried. They could talk (banter, debate, exchange ideas) about anything and everything. That week under the sun with the kids put his fears to rest. Of course they also discovered that they didn't have to talk. The sex was great no question there, but it was also nice reading with her by his side, or lying on the couch as she wrote. It was just nice that she was around twenty-four/seven and was easy with him. That's what had changed. It was easy to be with her.

At about four-thirty he decided to go home and shower and change for their 'date'. He didn't know why, but he felt like it was the right thing to do. He called Brennan but she was unavailable. He had a meeting with Sweets at six. That would give him enough time to get home and get back and still meet her at seven-thirty.

~!~

Brennan had showered and changed at the lab. She had an errand to run before dinner so she left at five-thirty. She and Booth had been playing phone tag for the past few hours. She of course had arranged for Angela and Hodgins to take CJ. She would pick her up first thing in the morning. Angela had told her to sleep in and come in the afternoon. Brennan decided that she would wait and see how the evening turned out.

The restaurant was Gordon Gordon Wyatt's. He was not there that evening, but she had called ahead to arrange the dinner with the maitre d' with Chef Wyatt's blessing. She arrived about seven-ten and was shown to a private dining table. It wasn't in a separate room, but it was very secluded. It was usually reserved for their very special guests. She opened the box that she had brought with her and reviewed the contents. It struck her out of the blue that she was nervous. Why? There was no reason to be nervous, but she was. She ordered a drink while she waited. She didn't need to feed CJ again until the next day, so she could drink a little bit.

Booth arrived promptly at seven-twenty. He was always ten minutes early. He recognized the restaurant as soon as he turned down the street and that raise a question. Was there trouble he didn't know about that needed Gordon Gordon's magic shrink touch? He decided to check his concern and wait and see. He was recognized as soon as he walked in, which always put him a little on edge. Sure the staff at the diner or Founding Fathers knew him, but in that fancy place it was just strange. He was shown to their table. His fears, his concerns, his edge was washed away when he saw her. It was a date and she had dressed up for him.

"Hi," he said softly leaning over to kiss her.

"Hi," she said back returning his kiss.

"Nice place," he said looking around. "Good table too … very intimate."

"The chef's table was too open this evening and Chef Wyatt is not here tonight."

That was also a good sign. This wasn't some kind of half-baked intervention. "No?"

She smiled. "No."

The captain brought over a bottle of Highland Park, thirty year old scotch and two crystal tumblers. He poured the drinks, placed the bottle on the table and left them alone.

Booth admired the bottle – it was familiar but he couldn't place it.

Brennan raised her glass to toast. "To us."

"To us," he returned and touched her glass with his. "If you're trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me, let me tell you right now – I'm a sure thing."

"I hope never to presume to know you. It would lead to taking you for granted – a mistake I made years ago and won't do again."

"Bones?"

She raised her glass again. "To us."

He studied her for a moment. Her mood was serious. "To us."

The taste of the scotch sent memories flooding back on him: a night of tentative emotions, of a life altering question and desire fulfilled. He checked his watch for the date forgetting for a moment that the date was not working correctly. But he knew it was the right date. One year prior Booth and Brennan had met as old friends, near strangers and in the course of the evening and morning they changed the entire future and created a life.

She smiled knowingly. "So you realize what today is."

"I do now." He puzzled a look at her. "You're not the anniversary type. You don't believe in honoring arbitrary dates of events long past."

"Maybe I have seen the error of my ways." She took his hand. "I wouldn't be a very good anthropologist if I didn't recognize the past and its impact on our present and future."

"And you are an excellent anthropologist." He leaned over and kissed her again – more deeply this time taking full advantage of the privacy of their table.

As if perfectly timed, a light appetizer arrived. The waiter served and slipped away nearly unnoticed.

"What is this," Booth asked.

"I don't know," Brennan said looking at the plate. "I let Chef Wyatt choose the menu."

"Well then … best we don't know what it is, but it's sure to be delicious."

They each tasted and were impressed. Chef Wyatt knew his food.

"So," Booth said leaning back but keeping his hand on hers. "What made you plan this dinner out?" He flashed a charmed smile. "And if I forget to tell you, I had a really great time."

"How could you know that?"

"It's a line from _**Pretty Woman**_." Technically the second line from that movie he used so far. "The movie? … Julia Roberts and Richard Gere?" Brennan shook her head. "Ok, that's it … You're going to get cultural education – from sports to TV to music to movies for the last hundred years. You're an anthropologist; you need to study your culture."

"And you will be my teacher?"

"I will be your guide, yes." He pressed her hand.

"It sounds like a lot of information."

"It may take the rest of my life, but it's worth it."

"That is why I planned this dinner."

Booth was confused. "So I can teach you about pop culture?"

"No, about the rest of our lives and customs."

Booth felt nervous again.

Brennan swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "You have been my partner, my friend, my mentor and my lover. We share a child, a home, a mission and a future – I hope."

"Bones?"

"Please, let me say what I want to say."

He nodded for her to continue.

"We don't always agree."

He raised an eyebrow questioning the veracity of that statement.

"OK, we rarely agree. We approach life differently and find joy in different things, but we agree on the most important things: family, friends, truth and justice. You are my companion, my ally … the one who will have my back, as I have yours whatever tomorrow brings."

He nodded and smiled. "You got that right." He still wasn't quite sure where she was going with all this.

"It's the custom in most societies that when two people find each other and believe that they can pass through life together, they pledge themselves to each other in front of friends, family and in the eyes of their community." She paused. "I am proposing marriage to you and request that you share your life with me."

Booth's face lit up. "You're proposing to me?"

"I realize that in this society it is the male who proposes to the female."

"And I did."

"As I recall, you didn't," she corrected. "We discussed marriage but there was no actual proposal. No question was asked."

"My mistake," he said with a wide grin. "Yes, Bones, Yes I accept your proposal of marriage and will share everything that I am or will be with you."

She nodded letting a smile edge her lips and eyes. Brennan produced a box from under the table and placed it on the plate in front of him.

"What's this?"

"It's customary for the one proposing to offer a token as symbol of love, devotion and fidelity." She looked up at him. "Yes, I'm also aware that typically it's the male who offers a ring typically of gold or platinum with a single diamond stone."

Booth was tentative about opening the box. He would of course wear a wedding band, he would wear it proudly, but he was less sure about a diamond ring. "This box is too big for a ring."

"It isn't a ring. I have taken liberties with this custom as well."

"Of course you have." He opened the box. In it was the watch he had been looking at for many months but had chosen not to buy. It wasn't that it was out of his price range, but it was just something he didn't want to buy for himself, not when there were so many other bills coming in. "Bones – you shouldn't have."

"It's the one you wanted, correct?"

"Yes, yes of course." It actually was the next model up from the one he was looking at. He pulled it out of the box to inspect it. It was stunning; not a dress watch, but dressier than the one he had. It was clearly an everyday watch with a diamond set at the twelve o'clock.

"There's an inscription," she said softly. This part she had done without asking anyone's advice. She was more than a little nervous.

He turned it over and noticed the engraving around the back. He moved so it was under the light and read, "_If I know what love is, it's because of you." _Centered on the back was:_ "Yours Always, Bones." _He looked back at her, his eyes were wet. "Bones."

"It's a quote from Herman Hesse," she explained. "But it applies."

He pulled her into a kiss filled with love, hope and promise for a long life together.

There next course arrived with a bottle of wine and they were unable to continue their conversation. The entrees came quickly after that and they found themselves enjoying the meal and the company. Each has something different but they were sharing. The Chef's choices were not safe by any means, but were excellent.

Finally dessert, coffee and a very fine cognac arrived. They were able to slowdown and reflect on the evening. Booth would often look down admiring his watch. It was typical of Brennan to do something that was practical but the sentimental part had him floored. Arranging dinner on a very important anniversary, a proposal of marriage, a very sentimental gift … this was a side of her that she rarely showed to anyone. He liked it, and he would bet that she liked it too.

"There is something else," Brennan said. "I would like to set a date for the wedding."

"Ok." Booth had wondered about that. They had talked six or eight weeks ago about getting married but nothing came of it. He wondered if this was the next step but would again be put off. It never entered Booth's mind that Brennan was concerned about repeating his experience with Hannah. "What day do you have in mind?"

"I would like to have a Christmas Eve wedding."

"Christmas Eve? Really?"

"Yes."

"Ok … why?" He wasn't sure if she were picking a day because she thought he wanted or if it was something that she wanted.

"Christmas is a very important holiday to you and celebrating our commitment to each other seems appropriate at that time."

He nodded. She was holding something back. "OK … any other reason?"

She paused to find her words. "I have few good memories of Christmas, and many bad ones. I would like to … to create new traditions … I would like us to create new traditions for our family."

He whole heartedly agreed. "Christmas Eve it is." He kissed her sealing their agreement. "What about your lawyers and their prenup?"

"Booth, I meant what I said … I meant more than I said. You have brought so much to my life. There would be no money, no books without you."

"So you are admitting that I was the inspiration for Andy Lister?"

She shook her head. "Loosely based, you have more in common with Lizzie Dee than you ever did with Andy Lister."

Booth was offended at first but as he thought about it, he did like Lizzie better than Andy, and he could really see working with her. "Ok … Ok … I can see that."

"But there never would have been a first book if I hadn't met you."

They finished their dessert talking of the future. Chef Wyatt of course picked up the tab over Brennan's protestations. So she over tipped the waiters. She would deal with Chef Wyatt another day. They got the bottle of scotch as a parting gift. They let CJ stay with Angela and Hodgins until eleven the next morning and fully enjoyed their time together alone living in the moment with one eye on the past and the other on the future.

**===.r*e*t*u*r*n.-=- .e*n*g*a*g*e*m*e*n*t.===**

On Christmas Eve, Brennan donned a pretty dress that she had purchased for the occasion, it wasn't white, nor would anyone confuse it with a wedding dress but she looked stunning. Booth cut a fine figure in a dark suit. They were flanked by Angela and Jared with their children, friends and family as witnesses. They stood before the Justice of the Peace and Father Bishop – a compromise, one of many. Before the ceremony commenced they looked at each other as two whole people, nothing had been left unsaid – nothing except the official vows but they were committed, the ceremony was just a formality.

"Bones?" He smiled.

"Booth?" She smiled back.

They both nodded slightly to each other and looked to the men presiding. It was time.

Father Bishop spoke up: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses to join Seeley and Temperance in matrimony."

Booth and Brennan shared a look.

They weren't Seeley and Temperance – they were Booth and Bones.

They would be Booth and Bones forever.

**===.T*H*E.-=-.E*N*D.===**

**A/N:** Thanks for playing along and sorry it got dragged out. It has been suggested that I make this a trilogy, and I will say that Ricky got short shrift again this time around, and it would be nice to see Booth and Brennan back at work. As of this moment I have no plans on writing a third installment. I've had my Bones obsession for just over a year now and I think it has finally been beaten out of me. I sure picked the wrong season to focus on this show. It was so much easier to like when I was a passive viewer. Not sure how or if HH&Co is planning on redeeming this season – maybe he doesn't see the need for redemption. The next two episodes look like they could be great (Silence and Hole in the Heart). The sniper arc so far has been really good, so I am looking forward to that. But I dread the season finale. At least there is a season seven to hope for redemption.

Anyway, thanks for reading, your comments have always been greatly appreciated and very motivational.

So let's give another cheer for Booth and Bones forever at least in FanFiction – and maybe soon on our TVs.


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